The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Nizamians rule the roost

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Nizamians rule the roost

Special Correspondent

Manohar, Vikramarka along with Kiran graduated from Nizam College

Good luck:MLA Jayasudha greets N. Manohar on his election as the Speaker of the State Assembly on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: “Nizam College will rule the State now” was the most heard refrain in the Assembly lobbies soon after the election of Nadendla Manohar and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka as Speaker and Deputy Speaker on Saturday.

In sheer coincidence, Mr. Manohar and Mr. Bhatti along with the Chief Minister, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had graduated from the city's prestigious college.

In fact Mr. Manohar's predecessor K. R. Suresh Reddy too studied in the same college.

The soft spoken Manohar (47) who represents Tenali in Guntur district was elected 18 {+t} {+h} Speaker while Mr. Bhatti (50), who was elected from Madhira in Khammam is the 19 {+t} {+h} Deputy Speaker.

Political families

Both of them hail from established political families, with Mr. Manohar's father, N. Bhaskara Rao, being a former Chief Minister, whereas Mr. Vikramarka is the brother of former APCC president, Mallu Ananta Ramulu.

This is the first time in the Legislature history that elections to presiding officers of both Houses were held on the same day and under peculiar political circumstances when Kiran Kumar Reddy government's strength was questioned in several quarters.

Mr. Manohar's election followed a drama with 23 Telugu Desam members rushing to the podium, resenting the Pro Tem Speaker J. C. Diwakar Reddy declaring him elected within minutes after the session began at 11 am.

Prior to this, Mr. Diwakar Reddy modified the Assembly Rules by a motion proposed by Legislative Affairs Minister D. Sridhar Babu, to opt to conduct the election through “open ballot” instead of secret ballot.

The Pro Tem speaker ordered a headcount later, yielding to the leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu and his party members who sought a division.

Mr. Naidu criticised as undemocratic, the “open ballot” method adopted after issuing notification to conduct the election through secret ballot.

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