HYDERABAD: In the wake of shifting loyalties by Congress legislators towards the YSR Congress Party, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana has handed out a stern warning to those leaders who show cross-party sympathy to Jagan Mohan Reddy that the PCC will not only initiate action against the MLAs who cross the fence but also invoke the anti-defection law to disqualify them from contesting the immediate bypolls.While addressing mediapersons at Gandhi Bhavan here on Sunday, the PCC chief made it clear that action would be initiated against the Congress leaders who crossed the fence.Apart from this, the Congress would recommend to the Assembly speaker to invoke the anti-defection law to debar such legislators from contesting the next immediate bypolls.However, the PCC chief did not elaborate on this. When journalists reminded him that there was no such provision in the antidefection law to bar such legislators from contesting bypolls, Botcha replied that the government consulted legal experts on this issue.When reporters wanted to know whether the government was planning to amend the law, he did not answer.It may be mentioned here that the anti-defection law, which was inserted in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution by the 52nd amendment in 1985, would only empower the speaker to disqualify legislators who defy party's whip from the membership but not to debar him or her from contesting the resultant bypoll.PCC sources said Botcha's warning was just to instil some scare in Congress legislators sympathetic to Jagan and thinking of deserting the ruling party to join YSRCP.Stepping up his verbal attack on Jagan, the PCC chief said YSR's son had criminal traits ever since his birth and was not brought up properly by his parents."Jagan has got criminal record.He moved hand in hand with criminals like Mangali Krishna.We are unable to asses the criminal traits which Jagan possesses.Leaders like Jagan are harmful to democracy,'' he said.On YSRCP chief's charge that the Congress and the Telugu Desam hatched a conspiracy to postpone the bypolls, Botcha said it was Jagan who wanted postponement and asserted that the bypolls would be conducted as per schedule.Earlier in the day Botcha reviewed the political situation with CM Kiran Reddy at the CM's camp office along with minister G Srinivasa Rao and former minister Mohammad Ali Shabbir.
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