HYDERABAD: The ruling Congress is aiming for a majority in the Legislative Council before the commencement of the monsoon session of Legislature by mid-July. It needs a majority in the Council to ensure smooth passage of key bills. The state government is planning to pass some key bills, mainly the Revenue Act, to replace Dharani portal with Bhumatha, in the two Houses. The ruling party has just six MLCs in the 40-member Council. Of them, two MLCs originally belonged to BRS, who defected to the Congress, after it came to power in December.
In the changed equations following the defection of Kuchukulla Damodar Reddy and Patnam Mahender Reddy, the strength of Congress stands at six while that of BRS has come down to 27.
The Congress has launched 'operation akarsh' to win over at least 15 out of 23 BRS MLAs to secure a majority in the Council before the monsoon session of Legislature.
Party sources said that nearly a dozen BRS MLCs are already in touch with senior Congress leaders and are willing to join the Congress anytime.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy plans to introduce few key bills in the Assembly and Council such as amending Revenue Act and amend the GHMC Act to merge adjoining seven municipal corporations and 30 municipalities with GHMC to create Hyderabad Greater City Corporation (HGCC) in order to ensure uniform development, equal distribution of funds among all areas around Hyderabad.
The Congress government is worried that BRS, with its absolute majority in Council, could block the passage of these two bills and create hurdles for the government to implement its ambitious plans.
To overcome these hurdles, the Congress wants to gain a majority by taking BRS MLCs into its fold prior to the commencement of the monsoon session of Legislature.
