The Hindu : Front Page : Historic day for Legislative Council

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 03, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Historic day for Legislative Council

Special Correspondent

63 members sworn in by pro tem Chairman on revival of House of Elders

READY AND STEADY: APCC president K. Keshava Rao greets Governor Rameswar Thakur before the start of the first session of the Legislative Council in Hyderabad on Monday. Pro-tem Chairman Puvvada Nageswara Rao, Legislative Affairs Minister K. Rosaiah a nd Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy are also seen. — PHOTO: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: Twentytwo years after it was abolished, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council came into being once again on Monday amidst jubilation and fanfare. Hundreds of supporters of members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) thronged the Public Gardens to greet their leaders.

The `historic' day began with the swearing-in of Puvvada Nageswara Rao (CPI) as pro tem Chairman at Raj Bhavan by Governor Rameshwar Thakur. A. Chakrapani is poised to be declared elected Chairman as his was the only nomination filed at close of the 5 p.m. deadline.

In all, 63 members were sworn in by the pro tem Chairman in the presence of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and a host of Cabinet Ministers. The Election Commission is yet to declare the result of 23 local authorities' constituencies (LAC). Election for three LACs is yet to be held.

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy was a visibly happy man. He is the happiest man as all the newly elected members and others greeted him profusely. They described him as the architect of the Council's revival. Ministers, MLAs, MLCs-elect queued up in front of his chambers in the renovated Council Building as soon as he entered the premises.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly N. Chandrababu Naidu was conspicuous by his absence at the inaugural function, which was, however, attended by TDP's deputy leaders in the Assembly T. Devender Goud and Nagam Janardhan Reddy. TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao also stayed away from the inaugural, but senior party leader A. Narendra sat along with APCC president K. Keshav Rao in the front row.

The newly-constituted House presented a good mix of the experienced and the young. Assembly Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy said at the inaugural function that the composition would help newcomers learn a lot about parliamentary practices from their seniors.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that "real and absorbing discussions on issues of public importance" would now form part of the legislative proceedings in the State. Quoting Finance Minister K. Rosaiah, he said that the Opposition had never rushed towards the Chairman's podium when the Council deliberated upon issues in the past.

The Governor, who formally inaugurated the Council hall, likened the Elders House with House of Lords in Britain and the Senate in the US.

Several MLCs-elect were seen hugging one another on their successful entry into the House of Elders. It was homecoming for the likes of Chairman-elect A. Chakrapani and veterans like Singam Basava Punnaiah, who were members of the abolished House in 1985.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page