Third YSR Congress MP quits Rajya Sabha in a month

New Delhi: R Krishnaiah, a prominent backward class leader, on Tuesday became the third YSR Congress MP to resign from Rajya Sabha within a month, indicating further shrinking of the party's legislative presence after its debacle in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

With this, the number of YSR Congress MPs in Rajya Sabha has come down to eight.

Officials said Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has accepted the resignation of Krishnaiah, who was elected from Andhra Pradesh, with immediate effect, after finding that the resignation letter was in conformity with Constitutional prescription.

On August 29, its two MPs M Venkataramana Rao and Beedha Mastan Rao Yadav had resigned from Rajya Sabha and are likely to join N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP, an NDA ally.

While it was not immediately known whether Krishnaiah is joining any other party, sources indicated that he may be headed to the BJP.

Krishnaiah belongs to Telangana and was earlier associated with the TDP, which had declared him as its chief ministerial candidate in 2014. He was elected an MLA on TDP ticket then.

In the bypolls, TDP-BJP-Janasena Party coalition is expected to win all the three vacant seats. It is to be seen whether TDP will claim all the three seats or the seats will be distributed among the allies.

The further weakening of YSR Congress strength in Rajya Sabha will add muscle to the ruling BJP-led NDA in the Upper House.

Earlier, two BJD MPs Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar too had quit Rajya Sabha. Bypolls were held to one seat from which Mohanta returned to Rajya Sabha, while Kumar is expected to be reelected in the pending bypoll.