Has YSRCP Suffered a Major Blow with Zakia Khanam's Resignation?

Synopsis
The resignation of Zakia Khanam, Deputy Chairperson of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, marks a troubling trend for the YSR Congress Party. With multiple resignations since their electoral defeat, the party's stability is in question. How will this impact YSRCP's future and leadership dynamics?
Key Takeaways
- Zakia Khanam has resigned from YSRCP, marking a significant loss for the party.
- She was the first Muslim woman Deputy Chairperson of the Council.
- Six MLCs have resigned since the party's electoral defeat.
- YSRCP's majority in the Legislative Council has been impacted.
- Discontent with leadership is driving resignations within the party.
Amaravati, May 14 (NationPress) In a significant blow to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), Zakia Khanam, the Deputy Chairperson of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, tendered her resignation from both the Council and the party on Wednesday.
She submitted her resignation as an MLC to Council chairperson Koyye Moshen Raju.
Khanam, who was appointed to the Council under the Governor's quota in July 2020, is originally from Rayachoti in the Annamayya district.
She made history as the first Muslim woman to hold the position of MLC and also became the inaugural woman Deputy Chairperson of the Council.
Her departure marks the sixth resignation from YSRCP since the party lost its majority to the TDP-led NDA in June of last year.
Prior to Khanam, Balli Kalyan Chakravarthy, Karri Padmasri, Pothula Suneetha, Marri Rajasekhar, and Jayamangala Venkataramana had also resigned from the Council, all citing dissatisfaction with the party's operations as their reason.
Thus far, Council Chairman Moshen Raju has not accepted any of the resignations, despite repeated requests and protests from the resigning members regarding the delay in their acceptance.
With Khanam's exit, YSRCP's presence in the 57-member Council has further diminished, although they still maintain a majority. The departing leaders attribute their resignations to conflicts with Jagan Mohan Reddy's leadership and policies.
Currently, YSRCP comprises 31 members in the Council, even after the resignations of six MLCs. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) holds 10 seats, while its coalition partners BJP and Jana Sena have one seat each. The Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) possesses four MLCs.
A wave of resignations has beset the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP following their significant defeat in the Assembly elections.
In the 2019 elections, the party secured 151 seats in the 175-member Assembly but was reduced to just 11 seats in the elections conducted last May.
Numerous leaders have departed from YSRCP, including four Rajya Sabha members. Notably, in January, close aide Vijaya Sai Reddy resigned from both the Parliament's upper house and the party.