BRS Accuses Congress of Insulting LoP leader KCR with Small Chamber in Assembly

As the Leader of Opposition and as leader of the 39-MLA group, Rao deserved a larger chamber befitting his status, the party leaders said.

However, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, during an informal chat with reporters in the Assembly said the allotment of offices and chambers fell within the purview of the Speaker. No one had any role in this and there was no need to make a big issue out of it, he said.

Interestingly, late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, as Leader of Opposition, was allotted the small room and shared it with Congress legislators. In 2004, when Dr Reddy became Chief Minister, the room was allotted to his predecessor and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in 2004 due to threat perception.

Congress Legislature Party K. Jana Reddy was allotted the room between June 2014 and December 2018. No one was allotted the room in the tenure of the second Telangana state Assembly.

Before Revanth Reddy spoke with reporters, BRS MLA Vemula Prashant Reddy told the media that said when the BRS was in power, a larger office space was given to the Leader of Opposition but this time only a small room was allotted to the LoP. “This is not correct. Giving a small room to the LoP is an insult,” he said.

Prashant Reddy also said that BRS MLAs and MLCs met with the Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar and submitted a representation seeking better office for Chandrashekar Rao in the Assembly.

He said similar insults were being piled on BRS MLAs with officials ignoring protocol. “Governments come and go, as do chief ministers. Systems should be followed,” he said.