HYDERABAD: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan appointed V Bhoopal Reddy, MLC from Medak Local Authorities’ segment, as pro-tem Chairman for the State Legislative Council on Thursday. Present Chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy and Deputy Chairman Nethi Vidya Sagar retired as MLCs on Thursday.
Usually, if the Chairman retires the Deputy Chairman will be the acting Chairman. As both of them retired on the same day, the Governor appointed a pro-tem Chairman as the Legislative Council is a permanent body and cannot be dissolved like the Assembly. The Council members should make and subscribe an oath or affirmation before the pro-tem Chairman.
Besides Sukhender Reddy and Vidya Sagar, four more MLCs — Bodakunti Venkateswarlu, K Srihari, A Lalitha and Fareduddin — demitted office on Thursday. This is the second time that both the Chairman and Deputy Chairman have retired on the same day. When the Council revived in 2007 in combined Andhra Pradesh, A Chakrapani and Mohammad Jani were elected to the Council for four years. Both retired on the same day in 2011. At that time, the Governor appointed MLC Singam Bsava Punnaiah as pro-tem Chairman for the Council.