BJP opposes Akbaruddin as Pro-tem speaker, Kishan Reddy calls Congress insecure on wafer-thin majority

HYDERABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators boycotted the oath-taking ceremony at the State Assembly on Saturday protesting the appointment of AIMIM Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi as Pro-tem Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly.

Party MLAs led by Kamareddy legislator KV Ramana Reddy met Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and submitted a memorandum urging her to set aside his nomination.

Calling the appointment a blatant violation of procedures, protocols, and precedents, the BJP argued that according to Article 188, only a senior member in terms of number of years in the Assembly must be nominated as the Pro-tem Speaker.

“Although there are many members who are senior to Akbaruddin Owaisi, the Government chose to appoint him as the Pro-tem Speaker, which is a clear violation of the set norms,” the BJP submitted to the Governor.

BJP urged the Governor to set aside the nomination of Akbaruddin Owaisi as Pro-tem Speaker and to instruct the officials concerned to withhold the process of election of a new full-time Speaker for the newly constituted assembly pending nomination of a senior most member as Speaker.

“The TS-BJP, otherwise, will be compelled to refrain from taking oath in front of a person who is appointed against the norms,” the memorandum said.

Congress insecure says Kishan Reddy

BJP Telangana chief G Kishan Reddy addressing media at the State headquarters alleged that the Congress appointed Akbaruddin as Pro-tem Speaker only because it was aware of the imminent fall of the Government led by A Revanth Reddy.

“Instead of appointing a senior MLA as Pro-tem Speaker, Congress chose to appoint Akbaruddin. Congress is a thin majority. It could fall at any time,. Congress needs Majlis's support. That is why it violated the norms and nominated Majlis MLA. That is why our MLAs boycotted the oath-taking ceremony,” Kishan Reddy said.

Congress came to power just three days ago, but it started its same old appeasement politics, the Union Minister observed. He made it clear that BJP members would take oath only under a senior Speaker but not under Akbaruddin.