Welcoming Change Witnessed In AP Assembly Proceedings

The oath-taking ritual of the AP legislative members set a right precedent to Assembly proceedings in the state, which heightened the expectations of the Andhra Pradesh public is seeing palpable change in the Assembly proceedings the next five years, under the TDP rule.

In contrast to the personal abuses and derogatory language used by the ruling YCP leaders during its five-year rule, the TDP, JSP and BJP coalition maintained decorum and showed discipline in the House, on the first day of its functioning after the new government assumed charge.

During the YCP rule, the public got vexed witnessing the abysmal levels to which the YCP leaders stooped just to show their supremacy in the House and at one moment, one of the YCP leader even questioned TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu “How did Lokesh come on earth” which frustrated the senior politician and he said he would never to step into the ‘Kourava Sabha’. “I will come back into the House only as the CM,” Naidu vowed.

At the same time, former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy ridiculed Jana Sena boss Pawan Kalyan of his multiple marriages, without missing any opportunity, at every public meeting.

Now, the TDP had wrested power from the YCP but the ruling party leaders are not pouncing on the YCP MLAs or on its boss even when the party suffered a humiliating defeat.

Yesterday, all the legislative members took oath in the Assembly. Jagan and his party MLAs also attended the programme. Jagan took oath as an MLA right after all the ministers completed their formalities. However, the immediate next day, all the YCP leaders, including its boss, remained absent from the Assembly.

According to the rules, the Opposition party leader is also supposed to fulfil some responsibilities when the Speaker is elected in the Assembly. However, Jagan stayed away from all the responsibilities and this led to criticism from the leaders of the ruling coalition.

But in 2019, when Chandrababu’s TDP suffered a defeat, he and his party MLAs attended the Assembly and continued to raise people’s problems, despite the humiliation and abuses hurled at them by the YCP members.

YCP MLA Sidiri Appalaraju also made some insulting remarks against Naidu that he should get treated by a psychiatrist but Naidu remained composed and did not lose his cool.

It was only after three years of withstanding the harassment by the ruling YCP MLAs in the Assembly, that Chandrababu Naidu took a vow never to return to the Assembly as the Opposition leader.

Now, Jagan and his MLAs have bid adieu to the Assembly after the first day itself and there are doubts if he would ever return to the Assembly.

It is significant to note that Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan or Nara Lokesh have only faulted Jagan for not attending the Assembly but did not pass any derogatory remarks against him.

The ruling coalition even relaxed the rules and allowed Jagan’s vehicle enter the premises of the Assembly because Jagan Mohan Reddy has not even secured the required number of seats to be identified as the Opposition leader.

It would be a welcoming change if the TDP coalition can maintain some ethics and principles in the House and the MLAs behave with dignity as elected representatives.