By IANS
Hyderabad : The ruling Congress party in Andhra Pradesh Sunday suspended four legislators for causing the defeat of party candidates in legislative council elections and issued a show cause notice to another for criticising the party and the government.
The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) announced the suspension of legislators – M. Chandrasekhar Reddy, A. Prabhakar Reddy, Naresh Agarwal and K. Lakshmaiah. Another party leader Srikakulam district council vice-chairman D. Srinivas has also been suspended.
APCC president K. Keshava Rao said they had been asked to give explanation within 15 days, which would be studied by the disciplinary committee of the party.
Meanwhile, the APCC has issued a show cause notice to senior party leader and legislator P. Shankar Rao for his comments against the party and government.
Unhappy with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for ignoring him in the recent cabinet expansion, Shankar Rao had criticised his style of functioning and warned that the party could face defeat in 2009 elections.
Another senior leader and legislator P. Janardhan Reddy and another legislator M. Sashidhar Reddy had defended Shankar Rao's criticism of the chief minister. Both the legislators have been bitter critics of the chief minister.
Congress, which returned to power in the state after a gap of nearly a decade in 2004, has 190 members in the 294-member state assembly. This is the first time in three years that the party is witnessing open dissident activities.