AP HC issues notices to 4 Ministers

Vijayawada, Jul 18 :  The Chandrababu Naidu-led state government suffered a setback as the AP High Court today issued notices to four Ministers, who were elected on the YSRCP ticket and later defected to the ruling Telugu Desam Party. The HC in Hyderabad issued notices to C Adinarayana Reddy, Bhuma Akhila Priya, N Amarnath Reddy and R S K Ranga Rao on a petition, filed by journalist Shiva Prasad Reddy, challenging their induction into the state Cabinet as they were elected on the YSRCP ticket. Mr Reddy filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court, challenging their being inducted into the Cabinet. The petitioner argued that the induction of defected MLAs into the Cabinet is unconstitutional. The High Court admitted the petition for hearing and issued notices to the government and the four Ministers, asking them to file counter affidavits by four weeks. As many as 21 MLAs and an MLC have quit the YSR Congress party and joined the ruling TDP during the last three years. Some of them were inducted into the Cabinet by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. UNI