Council abolition: YSRC, TD play emotional card

Hyderabad: In the wake of speculation and leaks from the ruling party about the abolition of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, the YSR Congress and Telugu Desam parties are digging up history.

Former ministers and TD MLCs Nara Lokesh and Yanamala Ramakrishnudu told the media that the abolition of the Legislative Council is undemocratic. But when Telugu Desam founder N.T. Rama Rao was Chief Minister, he abolished the Council in 1985. The TD had said then that the Council was a burden on the state budget and caused delays in passing important bills.

Now YSRC leaders are throwing this in the face of the TD. When the party’s founder could abolish the Council, the TD has no right to criticise the YSRC for doing the same. Former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had opposed the revival of the Legislative Council during Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s regime. He had commented that the Council would become a rehabilitation centre for unemployed politicians.

After 22 years, the Council was reconstituted in 2006. In the Opposition then, Mr Naidu boycotted the inaugural functio. But now, the TD is opposing the proposal to abolish the Council.

The TD can only counter by saying that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy always says he will follow in the footsteps of his father, Rajasekhar Reddy, who reinstated the Council. So why now is he going against what his father did?

TD MLC Nara Lokesh said that they are not scared at the government’s proposal to abolish the Council. At present, the TD has 26 members in the Council and the YSRC has nine. In the coming years, the TD’s strength would decrease and the YSRC’s strength would increase.