Jagan’s demand for LoP status can't be considered as party doesn't have required 18 seats: Andhra Assembly Speaker

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker C Ayyannapatrudu on Wednesday said the demand by YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) status cannot be granted, describing it as an "unreasonable desire."

He emphasised that the party does not have the required 18 MLAs or one-tenth of the total strength in the House.

Ayyannapatrudu further clarified that the recognition of a party leader as the LoP could only be considered if the largest opposition party meets the minimum requirement of 18 members, and it would be inappropriate to grant such a status solely based on discretion.

“The unreasonable desire of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for recognition as the Leader of the Opposition cannot be considered,” said the Speaker, adding that Reddy is aware of these provisions and precedents.

Underscoring that only the Speaker has the authority to recognise the LoP, Ayyannapatrudu pointed out that the eligibility for such recognition is determined strictly based on constitutional provisions, legal mandates, and established precedents.

He stated that if two or more opposition parties in the House have the same numerical strength, the Speaker will recognise one of the leaders from those parties as the LoP. This decision, he added, will be final and conclusive.

“Section 12-B, makes it clear that the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman of the Legislative Council are distinctly vested with the discretion to grant recognition to a Member as the Leader of the Opposition, and that their decision in this regard ‘shall be final and conclusive’," said Ayyannapatrudu.

Further, he highlighted that successive presiding officers—both in the Parliament and in various State Legislatures—have preferred to be guided by the ‘direction’ issued by GV Mavalankar, the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha, which mandates a strength equal to the quorum fixed to constitute a sitting of the House, that is one-tenth of the total number of members of the House.

“This well-established direction has been consistently honoured by both the Parliament and various State Legislatures, including the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly,” he said.

Referring to certain recent media reports, he said they have falsely claimed that the High Court has issued summons to the Speaker and ‘gave directions to pass orders’ pertaining to the LoP demand.

However, Ayyannapatrudu asserted that Jagan Mohan Reddy’s writ petition in the High Court seeking LoP status was not even admitted as of today.

“Given that his statements, particularly the false and fabricated references to the High Court, are causing confusion and misunderstanding among the public, I find it necessary to put an end to this malicious propaganda through this ruling,” he added.

Governed by the TDP-led alliance, the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly is represented by 135 TDP MLAs, Janasena (21 MLAs), YSRCP (11) and BJP (8).