AP BUDGET SESSION LIKELY TO BE STORMY

The session would take off with the customary address of both Houses of Legislature by Governor ESL Narasimhan tomorrow. Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu would present the budget in the Assembly on March 10. The session is programmed to last till March 18.

         The residuary State has already turned into a political cauldron, especially after YSRCP members began to desert the party and join the TDP. Till date, as many as seven MLAs and one MLC have quit the party and joined TDP. What has come as a big jolt for YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who is also the Leader of the Opposition, was that the defections started the very next day after he proclaimed that many TDP Members were queuing up before him and he was in a position to pull down the government whenever he wanted.

Taken aback by the sudden exodus of his members, Jagan launched a



tirade against Chandrababu Naidu accusing him not only of luring and buying his party MLAs, but also began targeting the AP CM of a massive land scam. Jagan alleged that Naidu and his coterie, including ministers have acquired fertile lands around the proposed State capital Amaravathi well in advance. As a matter of fact, a vitriolic war of words between the leaders of the two parties has already engulfed the political atmosphere in the State.

Besides, the suspension of YSRCP member and film star Roja is also expected to rock the proceedings in the House. Chandrababu Naidu is also likely to be cornered for failing to make the Centre to accord special status to the State as promised at the time of bifurcation of the undivided AP. In fact, expecting the session to be stormy from day one, the protocol committee of the legislature has met and decided to initiate certain measures to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of the proceedings during the session. It is learnt that one of the major decisions taken by the committee was to suspend any member trying to obstruct the Governor’s speech.   

The Chief Minister would also be facing an embarrassing situation during the course of the session with regard to his alleged double standards as far as the defections of his own party MLAs are concerned. While he and his TTDP leaders were crying hoarse against Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for allegedly encouraging defection of TDP MLAs into TRS, he, on the other hand, has been slyly masterminding defection of YSRCP members into TDP. This issue might also be exploited by the YSRCP to corner Naidu.