Jagan boycotts BAC meeting

Hyderabad: In less than 48 hours after claiming to have been working together in the reconstruction of Andhra Pradesh, the TDP and YSRCP locked horns on Saturday over the composition of the Business Advisory Committee.

The bonhomie that was witnessed in electing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Assembly unanimously was missing on Saturday as the main opposition boycotted the first meeting of the Business Advisory Committee. The meeting was held in the chambers of Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao to decide on the agenda of the House for the remaining two days of the session.

Political circles here see this as a pointer to the possible confrontation between the members of the YSRC and the TDP on the floor of the House from Monday onwards. The reason for the decision of opposition leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to abstain from the BAC meeting is that the ruling party had refused to accept his request of allowing four members of his party to represent in the BAC.

Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao on Saturday constituted the BAC of the new House by holding consultations with the government and the principal Opposition. The Speaker brought down the number of total representatives of various parties in the BAC from the existing 11 to 7. Of these seven, four belonged to the treasury benches, one the BJP and the remaining two the YSRC. "In the 294-member Assembly, there were 11 representatives from all parties in the BAC. But, now after bifurcation of undivided AP, the Seemandhra Assembly numerical strength stands at 175. As per that, the Speaker has now decided to reduce the size of the BAC to 7, said Chief Whip Kalava Srinivasulu. YSRC MLA Jyotula Nehru (Jaggampeta) said that YSRCP should get representation in the BAC as per its numerical strength.
Meanwhile, Kaluva Srinivasulu argued that when the TDP was played the principal opposition party's role in the undivided AP Assembly, only two members represented the party in the BAC. As per Assembly norms and traditions, only two MLAs represent the principal opposition party in the BAC, he added.

According to Srinivasulu, the BAC decided to take up thanksgiving motion on Governor's address for debate on Monday. The discussion will continue till Tuesday, which is the last day of the present session. On Monday and Tuesday, the House would begin at 9 am and end at 2 pm. The government will also introduce the Bill for enhancement of retirement age of State government employees from the existing 58 to 60, he said.