VIJAYAWADA: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had decided to serve no confidence notices from the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, starting on July 18. The TD Parliamentary Party meeting, which was held late on Thursday, resolved to continue the protest and stall the proceedings of both the Houses seeking special category status and other benefits.

The TDP had served the no confidence notices to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan , when the Parliament resumed after a brief break during the last budget session. However, the Speaker did not take up the notices for discussion claiming that the House was not in order and the session concluded on April 6, without the House debating on the no confidence motion. Both the TDP and the YSR Congress served the notices, which were rejected by the Speaker.

"We will be holding the protest both inside and outside the Parliament. Our members will hold the protest in both the Houses and mount pressure on the government to accept our demands. We will also mobilise the support of other parties," asserted Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas while speaking to TOI.

This time as there is no YSR Congress in Lok Sabha, the TDP MPs are planning to get the support of non-BJP and non-Congress parties for their demand. "We are very clear on our demands. The government has to announce special category status to the state or the Speaker has to admit the no confidence motion. There is no second though on it," the Vijayawada MP said.

Meanwhile, the YSR Congress is yet to decide on its course of action for the Monsoon session. The party was active in the last budget session with five of its Lok Sabha members and the lone Rajya Sabha members holding the protests all through. As the session concluded on April 6, five of the YSR Congress MPs have submitted their resignations in protest against the denial of special category status. Their resignations were accepted on June 20 and they would not be attending the Lok Sabha this time.

The party has two members in Rajya Sabha, V Vijayasai Reddy and V Prabhakar Reddy, who are likely to continue their protest in Rajya Sabha this time. However, the YSR Congress has not taken a call on the issue yet and is likely to decide in the next two days.

The lone Congress MP from Rajya Sabha, KVP Ramachandra Rao, is also likely to resume his fight in the Rajya Sabha.

