In a dramatic twist to the resignation of six members of the Andhra Pradesh state legislative council last year, one of them – Mayana Zakia Khanam took a U-turn and withdrew her resignation shortly after meeting council chairman Koye Moshen Raju on Monday.
Five of these MLCs – Karri Padmashree, Balli Kalyana Chakravarthy, Marri Rajasekhar, Jayamangala Venkat Ramana and Pothula Sunitha, who resigned from the YSR Congress party and their council membership met the council chairman and insisted that their resignations be accepted.
But Zakia Khanam withdrew her resignation from the council membership shortly after meeting the chairman.
She informed Moshen Raju that she wished to withdraw her resignation, without disclosing the reasons behind her decision.
Zakia Khanam, who was nominated to the legislative council by YSRCP chief and then chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2020 and was made deputy chairperson, resigned from the YSRCP and the MLC seat in May this year. She later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Karri Padmasri, Kalyana Chakravarthi and Marri Rajasekhar join the Telugu Desam Party, while Pothula Sunitha joined the BJP and Jayamangala Venkata Ramana joined the Jana Sena Party.
These five MLCs, however, told the council chairman that they were firm on their resignations. Moshen sought repeated clarification from the MLCs on whether they had resigned from their membership under any influence or inducement.
He questioned them whether they had resigned voluntarily, whether anyone had encouraged them to do so, or whether external pressure played any role.
The MLCs explained to Raju that they had resigned from the party and the MLC seats on their own and that their decision was entirely voluntary.
The chairman also asked whether they had considered withdrawing their resignations, noting that only a short period remained in their terms and suggesting that they could continue in office.
The MLCs rejected the suggestion, insisting that their stance had not changed.
