Now, Council test for Andhra Pradesh capital Bills

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which is in majority in the upper house of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature, can delay the passage of the capital restructure Bills but cannot totally reject them, legislature experts say.

The Jaganmohan Reddy government has on Monday night got two Bills passed in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly primarily intended to shift the executive capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam.

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Though Reddy’s YSRCP has a brute majority of 151 MLAs in a 175-seat house, it is the Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP that calls the shots in the Legislative Council. TDP has 28 members and YSRCP nine, in 58-membered Council.

Given that Naidu, who planned the grand Amaravati project, is vehemently opposed to Reddy’s plans, all eyes would be on the Council where the Bills would now make its way to after the easy nod of the Assembly.

"In such cases, the view of the Assembly would prevail," Raja Sadaram, a legislature, said. Sadaram has also served as a Secretary.

"The first time, the Council has three months to act when it could pass, suggest amendments or reject the Bill. If assembly resends the Bill, then it has to approve. Even if it does not act, the Bill is deemed as approved after one month time," Sadaram tells DH.

A TDP MLC expressed similar views.

"Council scrapping cumbersome"

Amid reports and rumours that Reddy is planning to abolish the Council to avoid such situations in future too, Sadaram said the process could take many months or even years.

"First, the Assembly has to make a resolution to such an extent and send it to the Centre. The Ministry of Home Affairs examines it and thereafter both houses of Parliament have to approve a constitution amendment bill. It is not at all an easy course," Sadaram, who is now Telangana’s chief information commissioner, said.

Interestingly, if Reddy decides to close the Council, he would be reversing his father's tenure move. The Council, scrapped by the TDP founder and former chief minister N T Rama Rao in 1985, was reconstituted in 2007 when YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the Chief Minister.