Telugu Desam Party, which was planning to stall the passage of APCRDA repeal bill and three capitals bill in Andhra Pradesh legislative council taking advantage of its majority, received a rude shock when senior leader and former minister Dokka Manikya Varaprasad resigned from his council membership on Tuesday.
Dokka, who contested unsuccessfully from Prathipadu assembly constituency in Guntur district on TDP ticket, submitted his resignation to legislative council chairman and also to party president N Chandrababu Naidu even before the commencement of the council session.
He indicated to the party president that he was not happy with the party’s decision to oppose the decentralisation bill passed by the assembly, which he felt, would result in all-round development of the state.
Dokka also declared in a statement that he would not be contesting in the direct elections in future.
Though Naidu issued instructions to all the MLCs to attend the council meeting to stall the government bills, Dokka abstained from the meeting.
He, however, came to the council on Monday, shook hands with chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and exchanged pleasantries with him.
This led to the talk that Dokka is getting ready to join the YSRC. A Dalit leader from Guntur district, Dokka has earned the reputation of being a sincere and hardworking politician.
He was appointed one of the spokespersons of the TDP and has been strongly criticising YSRC all these days.
But now, with the sudden turn of events, it is evident that he is getting ready to join the YSRC. So far, Dokka has not resigned from the TDP.
Another TDP legislator Samanthakamani also abstained from the legislative council meeting. However, she conveyed to the party leadership that she was not well.
