Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar Rejects Resignations of 13 MPs of Andhra Pradesh Friday Oct 18,2013

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday Oct 18,2013 rejected the resignations of 13 Seemandhra MPs -
10 Congress MP's
2 YSRC MP's and
1 TDP MP
as they (resignation letters) were “not genuine or voluntary.”

The MPs had wanted to quit their membership in protest against the Centre’s decision to bifurcate AP

The Speaker has taken the decision to reject the papers under Article 101 (3) of the Constitution and Rule 240 of LS procedure which deals with the procedure to be adopted by the Speaker when a member wants to quit from the House

Under Article 101(3)(b), when such letter of resignation is received, the Speaker has to make appropriate enquiry as she deems fit to get satisfied that the member has taken such a decision on his/her own volition. There is no time frame fixed in the Constitution or the rule of procedure for the Speaker to take her decision on such resignation issue. It is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Speaker and no one could intervene.

The 13 MPs whose resignations have been rejected are -

YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy (YSRC)

K. Narayana (TDP)

Congress MP's

• G.V. Harsha Kumar
•  K. Bapiraju
•  R. Sambasiva Rao
•  M. Sreenivasalu Reddy
• S.P.Y. Reddy
•  A. Sai Prathap
•  L. Rajagopal
• A. Venkatarami Reddy
•  V. Arun Kumar and 
•  Sabbam Hari

L Rajagopal, who represents Vijayawada in the House, has already moved the Delhi High Court seeking a direction from the court to the Speaker to accept his resignation dated August 2,2013. He claimed that the Speaker had no authority not to accept his resignation. The case is likely to come up for hearing soon.