HYDERABAD, July 6: With his latest outburst on the functioning of the Chandrababu Naidu Government, the stage appears set for the expulsion of Rajya Sabha member and actor Mohan Babu from the ruling Telugu Desam Party.

However, the party leadership has decided to wait for his appearance before the disciplinary committee on July 7 before taking a final decision on the matter.

Summoned by the disciplinary panel for allegedly beating up a local TDP leader Shankar Reddy in Chittoor district, the MP did not comply with the directive on three occasions but declared that he would appear before the committee on Monday. Speaking to mediapersons in Chennai yesterday, he expressed displeasure over the functioning of the Chief Minister and questioned the need for a disciplinary committee to probe, what he termed, a personal matter.

Senior TDP leaders said by attacking the Chief Minister publicly, the MP had lowered the prestige of the party and violated all norms of discipline. They felt he was deliberately making such remarks only with a view to leave the party.

Meanwhile, Minor Irrigation Minister B. Gopalakrishna Reddy deposed before the disciplinary committee and explained that he had acted in a responsible manner in the controversy surrounding the MP and Shankar Reddy. y

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.