Padma Devender Reddy is T Deputy Speaker

• Official announcement today
  
• Cong efforts to get hold the post prove futile
  
• Harish’s strategy catch Cong leaders off-guard

Hyderabad: Medak MLA Padma Devender Reddy is all set to don the role of first Deputy Speaker of Telangana Legislative Assembly. Padma’s appointment is a mere formality since no other member filed nomination for the post. The official announcement will be made soon after the House commences on Thursday morning. Efforts of opposition parties especially the Congress to get hold of the Deputy Speaker post proved futile since the TRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao stuck to his stand.

He told a delegation comprising -- J Geeta Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka (Congress), Errabelli Dayaker Rao (TDP) and K Laxman (BJP) -- that his party had already promised Deputy Speaker post to Padma Devender Reddy and they were not in a position to go back at this stage. Miffed with the TRS response, the Congress decided not to back Padma’s candidature. However, the TRS key leader T Harish Rao’s strategy caught them off-guard.

Harish approached Naryankhed Congress MLA Kista Reddy, who signed in support of Deputy Speaker since she hails from his district. Later, Harish obtained signatures from TDP and BJP camps. Unaware of Harish moves, Congress leaders later contacted their fellow opposition leaders and told them not to extend support to the TRS candidate. The TDP and the BJP leaders said that they put their signatures after Harish told them that the Congress party had already backed Padma’s candidate.

Later, Jana Reddy sought an explanation from his colleague Kista Reddy who replied that he was not aware of the Congress strategy and hence signed in favour of Padma Devender Reddy.