A heated debate on the motion for no-confidence against the government moved by Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu rocked the state legislative Assembly on Monday.
Initiating the debate, Naidu claimed that the government had no moral right to continue as it had failed to address the issues of farmers and poor people whose suffering has been aggravated by severe drought and price rise. "We moved the motion of no-confidence against the government only because the people of the state desired to see its early exit," he said.
Treasury benches, led by chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy rebutted the criticism stating that Naidu had no right to take the name of farmers as he failed them during his 9-year long stint as chief minister till early 2004.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), CPI, CPI (M) and BJP and a splinter group Congress MLAs holding allegiance to Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress have declared their support for the no-confidence motion. However, the 17 MLAs of Praja Rajyam, which has already merged with the Congress, and the 8-member MIM are backing the government.
The House is expected to take up voting on the motion late in the night as the debate remained inconclusive till late in the evening. The five-day winter session of the Assembly ends on Monday.