Jagan to create trouble for Naidu through MLCs ?

[Anta Assamey]

It appears that YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is looking for opportunities to create difficulties for his successor, Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, in the state legislature in the coming days.

The Naidu government is expected to face challenges from the YSRCP, not in the assembly, but in the state legislative council, where the YSRCP holds a significant majority.

Out of the total 58 MLCs, the YSRCP has a strength of 30 MLCs, while the TDP has only eight, along with four independents and four nominated members. There are also six vacancies. Even the nominated members are affiliated with the YSRCP.

Thus, while the Naidu government can easily pass any important bill in the state assembly, it could be stalled in the state legislative council if the YSRCP members oppose and reject it.

For example, if Naidu wants to introduce any bill related to Amaravati or the AP Capital Region Development Authority, the YSRCP can obstruct it in the council and prevent its passage by the state legislature. A bill cannot become law unless it is passed by the council.

This scenario occurred during Jagan's own regime, when TDP members, who held a majority in the legislative council at the time, stalled the three capitals bill. This caused such frustration for Jagan that he even attempted to abolish the legislative council.

On Thursday, Jagan held a meeting with his party’s MLCs at his camp office to discuss the strategy to be adopted in the legislative council for the upcoming session, which will be held concurrently with the assembly session.

He reportedly instructed the MLCs to strongly oppose any bill from the Naidu government that might contradict the decisions taken by the previous YSRCP administration.

He explained how to create hurdles for the Naidu government by leveraging their majority in the legislative council.