The first session of the new Telangana Assembly and Legislative Council commenced on Monday on a peaceful note. 

Unlike the acrimony that prevailed in the combined state, bonhomie was visible on the first day across different parties.  Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) members gave a standing ovation to their leader K Chandrasekhar Rao. Incidentally, Rao has returned to the Assembly after a decade. 

Rao ran for Parliament in 2004 and 2009 though his party entered into an alliance with the Congress in 2004 and with the Telugu Desam Party in 2009. It was only in 2014 that the TRS could muster 63 Assembly seats, which helped in forming the government.

The Assembly observed a minute’s silence in honour of those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of a separate Telangana. The House unanimously passed a resolution paying tributes to Telangana martyrs. The session was conducted in the refurbished Jubilee hall at the new Council building.

Earlier, Governor E S L Narasimhan administered oath of office to Jana Reddy, senior- most member of the Assembly, at Raj Bhavan. New speaker and deputy speaker will be elected on Tuesday. The governor will address the joint session on June 11 laying down a route map for Telangana’s development. 

Similarly, Nethi Vidyasagar will also be inducted as the chairman of the Legislative Council. According to Assembly secretary Sadaram, both houses will function till June 13.