Governor ND Tiwari addressed the joint session of Assembly (MLC & MLAs) today in the central hall of the assembly.
Reacting to the Governor’s speech Chiru said ‘The speech of Governor looks like the screen play written for Congress party’s election campaign. If the State income is going up, why the farmers are committing suicide? Roshaiah committee is eye wash on Teleangana issue. The Government couldn’t dare to accept the truth. If the projects are not built on priority basis, the state’s financial position will be in soup
Excitement is building up on the eve of the first session of the 13th Assembly. While the recharged Congress members, who rode to power on the crest of pro- YS Rajasekhara Reddy wave, are raring to go, Megastaxr Chiranjeevi too is eager to enter the portals of the Assembly for the first time, with his 17 MLAs, giving the lower house a touch of Tollywood glamour.
The session might not witness the usual fireworks as no issues would be taken up for discussion.
Oath-taking by MLAs who include 147 new faces, Speaker’s election, Governor’s address, discussion on the address and the Chief Minister’s reply would be the agenda for this short session which will end on June 9 or 10.
There is a festive atmosphere in the Congress camp. Though the TDP is a stronger opposition now compared to the 12th Assembly, the Congress members are high on confidence and are eager to take part in the proceedings. The ruling party, however, is struck by a tragedy. Even before he was sworn in as MLA, Tekkali legislator Revathipathi died today at a private hospital in Visakhapatnam following a cardiac problem.
A condolence motion would be moved to mourn his death. There would be no Question Hour or other business proceedings in this session. According to Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister Konijeti Rosaiah, prior to commencement of the session, senior member and former minister JC Diwakar Reddy would take oath as Pro tem Speaker at the Raj Bhavan at 9 am.
He would then administer oath to the newly-elected MLAs in the Assembly session that begins at 10.30 am. After Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu and floor leaders of other political parties take oath, other members will be called in an alphabetical order of their names for swearing in. With 294 members to take oath – 156 Congress, 92 TDP, 18 PRP, 10 TRS, 7 MIM, 4 CPI, 2 BJP, one each of CPM, Lok Satta and three Independents – the process is expected to take six hours to complete.
Rosaiah urged all MLAs, particularly the first-timers, to bring their declaration certificate issued by the Returning Officer to avoid inconvenience at the Assembly entrance gate.
Five passes were being issued to each MLA to bring in their family members or friends. Three large LCD screens would be placed outside the Assembly to show the proceedings live.
Filing of nominations for the Speaker’s post would take place between 10.30 am and 5 pm tomorrow.
Congress party had already declared Piler MLA N Kiran Kumar Reddy as its candidate for the post. Floor leaders G Kishan Reddy (BJP) and Akbaruddin Owaisi (MIM) would file a set of nominations in support of Kiran Kumar Reddy.
As per the agenda proposed, the session would begin tomorrow at 10.30 am for oath-taking of MLAs.
The Speaker would be elected on June 4. The Governor would address a joint session of the Legislative Council and Assembly at the Central Hall on June 5 at 11 am. Discussion and the Chief Minister’s reply on the Governor’s address would take place on June 8 and 9. There would be no session on June 6 and 7. The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) chaired by the Speaker would finalise the agenda.
Elaborate security arrangements were made for the first session of the new Assembly.
The Praja Rajyam chief, Mr K. Chiranjeevi, has given ample indications in the last two days that he was game for the Congress strategy to use him as a foil to weaken the Telugu Desam.
Surprising even his partymen, he announced on Friday that the PR would not contest from Tekkali if the Congress fielded a family member of Mr Revathipathi who died before taking oath. He also announced support for the Women’s Reservation Bill to be piloted by the Congress.
Though Mr Chiranjeevi told mediapersons that the decision not to field a candidate in Tekkali was taken on humanitarian grounds, most people read more into it.
“Though it is a good gesture it would have been politically prudent for us to wait for the Congress to make the first move and then announce it,” said a Praja Rajyam MLA.
Party leaders feel that Mr Chiranjeevi’s attempt to make a positive impression might give people the feeling that PR was sailing with the Congress. The Congress is delighted by the megastar’s gesture since it will make it difficult for the TD to field its candidate. Top advisers of the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, have already drawn up a strategy to counter the TD chief through Mr Chiranjeevi.
This was evident from the way the ruling party members kept thumping benches when the PR chief indirectly attacked the TD during his maiden speech in the House. Mr Chiranjeevi had found fault with Mr Naidu’s stand on the Speaker election and this was appreciated by the treasury benches.
“He should cut into the TD base more than what he did in the recent elections for us to be comfortable in the coming local body polls,” said a senior minister.
The ruling party is also trying to taunt the TD by giving more time to Mr Chiranjeevi to speak.
Chiranjeevi stated that as Y S R and K V P are good friends so are Allu Arvind and me, Chiru acknowledged that opponent party people were successful in damaging the image of the party. Chiranjeevi further stated that in future also Arvind would continue to be in party on Friday in an interview he gave to media. Chiru stated that other than B J P they are ready to join hands with any party.
Everybody was curious how Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi would speak for the first time in the assembly on Thursday, but his maiden speech was more than impressive.
Though the PRP president got only three minutes to speak on the election of N Kirankumar Reddy as the Speaker, he utilised the opportunity very well. “When I told media persons yesterday that there is a perfect harmony in the assembly, they laughed at me and told me that worse was yet to come. But on the second day itself, I could see how rival parties attack each other with such bitterness. I did not expect it,” he said.
He said the PRP would play the role of constructive opposition party. If the government does good, he does not hesitate to support it; but if takes anti-people policies, he would definitely expose the government, he said.
Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi never loses an opportunity to harp on “social justice,” but in practice, his party leaders never implement it.
Remember Munemma, who contested on PRP ticket from Kovvur Assembly constituency in Nellore district in the recent elections? Chiranjeevi gave her the ticket amidst dramatic conditions, only to display to the world that he was practising social justice. But the fact was that Munemma was asked to fight mighty Congress and the TDP leaders. All that she did was to go round the constituency and beg votes, while the leaders around her enjoyed the party funds and facilities. As expected, she lost the polls.
Now, Munemma is back to her old life style: leading a pathetic life in her hut, with children half-naked. She is cooking broken rice in an aluminium vessel on an earthen chulha and her husband coming home late in the night in drunken state. When a TV channel reporter interviewed her, she had no answers to many questions. “What do you mean by social justice?” the reporter asked, but she did not even understand the meaning of the words. The PRP leaders in Nellore deserted her. Will they ever allow such a poor woman to grow in politics?
HYDERABAD: Clad in his trademark white shirt, black trousers and the party’s `kanduva’, Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi arrived in the Assembly accompanied by his party legislators. Chiranjeevi, who took oath in Telugu as member of the Assembly earlier in the day, was the cynosure of all eyes as leaders of all parties shook hands with him. Lensmen and videographers scrambled to shoot him and even security personnel and others present in the Assembly premises tried to take a close glimpse.
Even in the house Chiranjeevi attracted the attention of the members. He sat on the first bench in the fifth row from the left side of the Speaker.
Party deputy leader G Srinivasa Rao sat with him.
All the members greeted Chiranjeevi along with Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu. When B Usharani, who defeated Chiranjeevi in Palacole came to the podium to take the oath, all eyes in the House turned toward Chiranjeevi.
After taking oath, she greeted Chiranjeevi. Meanwhile, the PRLP urged the Speaker to allot a office for it in the premises and a chamber for Chiranjeevi in the House
The Praja Rajyam chief, Mr K. Chiranjeevi, stumped all political parties with his plain talk about some members wasting the time of the House and behaving in an immature manner. In his maiden speech, the actor-turned-politician dro-ve home the point that he respects the traditions and values of the House. The Praja Rajyam supported the candidature of Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to uphold the noble convention of ensuring unanimous selection of Speaker, he pointed out.
“The behaviour of some members reminds me of a school atmosphere. I will not say college because students there behave more maturely,” Mr Chiranjeevi said as the House burst into laughter. The PR leader said he was cautioned against the war like atmosphere which he will witness in the future. “I was touched by the cordial atmosphere on the first day. I did not expect that impression to be shattered on the second day itself,” he
said.
Pointing out that there were many senior members in the House, he said juniors like him would look up to the former for guidance and requested seniors to behave like role models. The PR chief said every member should keep in mind that a huge amount of public money is spent to conduct the proceedings in the House and every minute was precious.
PRP Chief Chiru met with Home Minister Sabhitha Indra Reddy at her chamber in the assembly today. Chiru congratulated Sabhitha for being sworn in as the First woman Home Minister of the state in India.
Sabhitha has also congregated Chiru for entering the Assembly as first time MLA.
After that, Chitchat between Chiru and Sabhitha went for than half an hour. It is heard that they have discussed about the assembly proceedings
Telugu megastar-turned-politician K. Chiranjeevi Wednesday began a new innings in his career when he entered the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly as a member.
Elected from Tirupati constituency, the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) president entered the premises of the assembly to a warm welcome by his party colleagues.
However, his entry was also marked by protest from a former PRP leader Masala Eranna, who had quit the party before elections to protest the denial of ticket. Police later whisked away Eranna when he was trying to enter the house raising slogans of “Chiranjeevi down down”.
Clad in white with a green scarf, Chiranjeevi, the floor leader of PRP, took oath as member of the 13th legislative assembly, whose first session began with members taking oath of allegiance to the Constitution of India and vowed to abide by the assembly rules.
The 53-year-old Chiranjeevi, who launched PRP in August last year after a three-decade long successful film career, took oath in Telugu amid thumping of desks by his party legislators.
Before entering the house, the actor told reporters that his party would play the role of a constructive opposition and take up people’s issues in the house.
Though claiming to be a strong contender for power, PRP finished a poor third with 18 seats in 294-member assembly in April elections. Chiranjeevi himself lost the polls from Palacole in his native West Godavari district, though he was elected from temple town of Tirupati.
Bureaucrat-turned-politician Jayaprakash Narayan also made a beginning as the state legislator. The Lok Satta president was elected from Kukatpally constituency in the state capital on the slogan of clean politics.
Though Jayaprakash Narayan was the only Lok Satta candidate elected, the party made an impressive beginning by polling significant number of votes, especially in urban constituencies.
Jayaprakash Narayan, who took oath in the name of the sacred office of the legislator, had quit as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official in mid 1990s to launch Lok Satta, a movement for democratic reforms. In 2007, he turned the movement into a political party.
Earlier, the session began after state governor Narayan Dutt Tiwari administered oath to senior Congress party legislator J.C. Diwakar Reddy as protem speaker at Raj Bhavan.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was the first to take oath as legislator followed by leader of opposition and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu.
After the two leaders, the ministers took the oath. Two out of 35 cabinet ministers could not take oath as they were away attending the last rites of newly elected Congress legislator K. Revatipathi who died Tuesday following cardiac arrest.
His death brought the strength of Congress party to 155 in 294-member house.
For the first time in its 26-year-old history, TDP is sitting in opposition for the second consecutive term. The party bagged 92 seats against 45 seats it held in the previous assembly.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) won 10 seats, down from 26 in 2004 elections. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) improved its tally from five to seven.
Communist Party of India (CPI) won four, against six in the last elections. The strength of CPI-M came down from seven to one. BJP remained at two while three independents were also elected.
Chiranjeevi Taking Oath as MLA in Andhra Pradesh Assembly Video
