JOIN USKiran Reddy takes prorogue route to stall T-process
As the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government put finishing touches to the draft Telangana bill, a decisive step towards creating a separate state out of Andhra Pradesh, a row over proroguing the state Assembly has been brewing here between Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and Speaker of the House Nadendla Manohar.
According to the Constitution, proroguing the House means issuing a fresh notification for gathering the House and it will then be up to the chief minister and the state cabinet to decide the date for convening the House. The Andhra Pradesh Assembly last met on June 22.
Kiran, who has vowed to stall the process of Telangana creation, has chosen the “proroguing route” to impede the Centre’s attempt to fast-track the process. The UPA is keen on introducing the bill in Parliament before it concludes the winter session in December.
The state government set off the row recently dispatching a letter to the Speaker with the request to recommend proroguing the House to Governor ESL Narasimhan, to which the Speaker did not respond.
Though the prorogue route has emerged as the latest weapon in the armoury of the chief minister, who has had a fallout with the central leadership over the bifurcation issue, it could yet put him on collision course with the Speaker’s office.
It appears highly unlikely that Manohar will opt for proroguing the House as the Telangana bill could land any time now and the Assembly needs to be convened to discuss it.
A few Seemandhra leaders are discussing a no-confidence motion against the Speaker if he refuses to recommend for proroguing the House to the governor. Telangana leaders on the contrary are mulling over bringing a no-confidence motion against the chief minister.
Former minister from Telangana Shankar Rao has dashed off a letter to Assembly Secretary Sadanand on Wednesday requesting an Assembly meeting to take up the no-trust vote against Kiran.
Speaking about the prorogue issue, government whip Eravarti Anil said the Speaker should not be dragged into the bifurcation raw.
Former House Speaker and Telugu Desam Party MLC Yanamala Ramakrsihnudu said the bill could be taken up irrespective of the no-confidence against the Speaker. He demanded that the bill be presented in the Legislative Council as well.
Legal experts say that the governor is part of the state legislature and he has the powers to summon the Houses of state legislature as per Article 174 of the Indian Constitution
Article 174 (1) reads: “The governor shall from time to time summon the House or each House of the Legislature of the State to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session.”