The winter session of the Legislature Assembly beginning tomorrow is expected to be stormy affair with the Opposition determined to move a no-confidence motion against the Andhra Pradesh government of embattled N Kiran Kumar Reddy.
The Legislature is meeting after a gap of eight months for regular business though it was convened for a day on June 4 for elections of Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
The government did away with the monsoon session, in July-August because of the Telangana turmoil and the crossover of Congress MLAs to the YSR Congress party.
While the Telangana issue continues to haunt the Congress, the principal opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is all set to move a no-trust motion against the government on the very first day of the session.
The government intends to conduct the winter session from December 1 to 5 with five working days though the Opposition wants a 15-day meet.
The no-confidence motion, to be tabled on various issues, might not pose a danger to the government yet it will be a major challenge.
On paper, the ruling Congress has sufficient numbers to prove its strength in the 294-member House (effective strength 287 following the resignation of six MLAs and death of another). However, which way the party MLAs tilt at the crucial hour is a big question as more than 20 legislators are virtually sailing on two boats - the Congress and the YSR Congress of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.
The fence-sitters have stated their inclination to return to the Congress camp and to ensure that the government doesn’t fall in case of a trial of strength on floor of House.
In fact, 29 Congress MLAs had switched their loyalty to the Jagan camp in August and vowed to pull down the government. However, as the noose started tightening around Mr. Jagan’s neck following the CBI and the ED’s probe into his illegal assets, majority of the legislators expressed their desire to return to their parent party even as they continued to pledge their loyalty to the beleaguered son of late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
On the other hand, Congress MLAs from Telangana region are in a fix over their course of action in the winter session in the backdrop of they being portrayed as “betrayers” after they went back on their resignations on the separate statehood cause.
Interestingly, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which too backed out of the resignation drama, is seeking to brand both the Congress and the TDP legislators from the region as “Telangana drohulu” (betrayers of Telangana) while claiming itself to be the “real champion” of the cause.
However, the TRS vowed to support a no-trust motion against the Reddy government even if it was moved by the principal opposition party TDP.
“We are ready to move a no-confidence motion if anyone supports us. We will extend our support if anyone moves it,” leader of the 12-member TRS group in the Assembly E Rajender asserted.
State Finance Minister Aanam Ramanarayana Reddy, however, said the government was not worried over the no-confidence motion. “We have requisite numbers in the House to face a trial of strength,” he said.
Merger of the 17-member Praja Rajyam Party and the outside support of the seven-member Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) have bolstered Congress’ position in the House.
Apart from the no-confidence motion and the Telangana issue, there are several pressing matters like severe drought faced by the state and suicides by farmers that need to be discussed.
The Licensed Cultivators Bill needs to be passed by the Legislature as the Ordinance issued six months ago will elapse on December 8.
