Winter session of AP Assembly in Hydebarad: Speaker

HYDERABAD: Putting an end to all speculation both within and outside his party, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has decided to hold the assembly’s winter session in Hyderabad.
While there was a proposal to hold the session at Thullur in the new capital region, Naidu changed his mind ahead of the GHMC polls in the city where votes of lakhs of AP natives could prove to be decisive.The high court has asked the government to hold the civic polls by December 15 this year, while the TRS is trying to push it to early next year.
“We wanted to conduct the winter session in the new capital. But, it has been decided to call the House in Hyderabad at least for the next couple of sessions,” said Kodela Sivaprasad Rao, Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Sivaprasad Rao had proposed to hold the Winter Session, scheduled in December, at a makeshift structure in Thullur near Vijayawada. But Naidu, who had earlier agreed to the proposal, dropped the idea at the behest of TDP leaders from Telangana, sources said.
The Telangana TDP leaders are apparently jittery over the TRS’s attempts to strike a chord with Andhra-ites settled in Hyderabad, who account for over 25 per cent of the electorate.
“It is a clear move by the TRS to lure Seemandhra voters in the city by highlighting KCR’s presence in the AP capital function recently. While we appreciate the bonhomie, we can never allow the TRS to take advantage,” said Jubilee Hills MLA Maganti Gopinath, who recently took over as president of the Hyderabad city unit of TDP.
Gopinath said Hyderabad is the common capital for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and holding the Assembly Session in the city was a matter of right under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014.
However, Speaker Sivaprasad Rao said shortage of time for preparing the logistics were the main reasons behind the change of plan. “The decision to hold the session in Hyderabad for now is being taken on the basis of practical issues. As the session is expected in December, we may not be prepared with the infrastructure by then,” he said.
Sivaprasad Rao said he would meet the chief minister Naidu on Monday and discuss the issues related to venue and schedule of the session.
The TRS is, however, unhappy about the decision. “Instead of sticking to the provisions made in the Act, they better move to the new capital and hold the session there. Talking about the development of the new capital on one hand and continuing to stay put in Hyderabad for political reasons is not wise,” K Keshava Rao, secretary-general of TRS and a Rajya Sabha member, told TOI.