Hyderabad: Congress MLA Arekapudi Gandhi was on Monday appointed chairman of the 12-member Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Telangana Legislature, triggering a political controversy over a ruling party legislator heading the panel. Notably, Gandhi, who represents Serilingampally in the Legislative Assembly, had switched over to the ruling party from the main opposition in July.
BRS legislator T. Harish Rao vehemently criticised Gandhi's appointment, alleging that it violated constitutional practices wherein opposition members traditionally chair the PAC.
On Monday, the Telangana Legislature Secretariat issued orders constituting three legislative committees – Public Accounts Committee (PAC), estimates committee and public undertakings committee. Each committee will have 12 members, apart from the chairperson.
Meanwhile, Congress Kodad MLA N. Padmavathi Reddy, wife of minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, has been named as chairperson of the estimates committee, while Congress Shadnagar MLA K. Shankaraiah will head the public undertakings committee.
As per Assembly and parliamentary traditions, the PAC chairman post is given to a senior leader from the opposition, recommended by the leader of the opposition.
Gandhi was named chairman of the PAC though BRS had suggested three names — Harish Rao, Vemula Prashant Reddy and Gangula Kamalakar for the post.
Technically, Gandhi continues to be a BRS legislator. Ruling party leaders argued that the post had been given to an opposition MLA.
During the BRS regime from 2019 to 2023, the PAC chairman post was given to AIMIM Legislative Party leader Akbaruddin Owaisi after 12 out of 18 Congress MLAs defected to the BRS, reducing the Congress to third place with six MLAs as against AIMIM's seven.
Harish Rao said the practice was that the PAC chairman was always from the opposition, something that is also practiced by the Lok Sabha.
“If there are more nominations than the number allowed to be in the committee, the Speaker must hold an election in the House. How was my nomination rejected without following such a procedure,” he wondered.
Harish Rao said “This is a joke. In the Lok Sabha, the position of the PAC chairman is held by K.C. Venugopal of the Congress. Rahul Gandhi talks about protecting the constitution and its values but what happened here is murder of the constitution.”
