Hyderabad, Dec 2 (IANS) For the second consecutive day, the Andhra Pradesh assembly was adjourned without transacting any business as the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) stalled proceedings to press their no-confidence motion against the government.
Speaker N. Manohar adjourned the house for the day amid utter pandemonium as opposition members surrounded his podium, demanding that their no-confidence motion be taken up.
Even as TDP insisted that the speaker immediately take up no-confidence motion moved by it Thursday, TRS also submitted a separate notice to the speaker for no-confidence motion on Friday.
As soon as the house met for the day, TDP members rushed to the speaker’s podium. Holding placards, they raised slogans. TRS legislators too joined them, demanding that the house pass a resolution to carve out separate Telangana state.
The speaker adjourned the house for 10 minutes. As his appeals for cooperation in smooth running of the house fell on deaf ears, Manohar again adjourned the house for half-an-hour.
There was no let up in the pandemonium when the house re-assembled. The speaker’s announcement that he received the TDP notice for a no-confidence motion failed to pacify the main opposition, which continued demanding that it be immediately taken up for debate.
With Friday’s adjournment, the house has lost two of the five days of the winter session.
After the TDP, the TRS also submitted a notice for no-confidence motion against the Congress government, saying Congress party betrayed people of Telangana by going back on its word to carve out separate state.
TRS leader E. Rajender urged TDP and also Congress legislators from Telangana to support the no-confidence motion. He alleged that the no-confidence motion moved by TDP lacked sincerity.
‘Congress MPs from Telangana are raising the Telangana issue in Parliament but why are MLAs from Telangana silent in the assembly?’ he asked.
On the other hand, TDP alleged that TRS and Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy’s group have colluded with Congress government to save it.
TDP leader P. Keshav criticized the TRS and the Jagan group for not coming forward to support no-confidence motion moved by the TDP.
In the 295-member house (including a nominated member), the Congress has 153 members. Though 26 of these Congress legislators had declared loyalty to Jaganmohan Reddy a few months ago, some of them have since returned to the party fold.
The Congress also enjoys the support of 18-member Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), which has announced its merger with the ruling party. The TDP has 86 members, TRS 12, MIM seven, CPI four, BJP two, CPI-M one, Lok Satta one, YSR Congress one and independents two. There are seven vacancies.
