HYDERABAD: BRS leader and advocate B Vinod Kumar on Friday said that the very existence of the State Legislative Council was under threat.
Referring to Articles 169, 170 and 171 of the Constitution, Vinod Kumar said the total members of the Council should be one-third of the members of the Assembly. The Council strength should not fall below 40, as per the Constitution.
Speaking to reporters, the former MP said that after the 104th Amendment to the Constitution, which removed the reserved seat for the Anglo-Indian community in the Assembly, the strength of the Council reduced to 39.
“Reduction of the strength of the Council to 39 is against the provisions of the Constitution, which mandated minimum 40 members,” Vinod Kumar said and added that “it is a Constitutional crisis”.
“If anyone files a case in the court, the Council will be repealed,” he added.
He suggested that Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu, who are scheduled to meet on Saturday, discuss Section 26 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, which proposes to increase the number of seats in the State Legislative Assemblies in both the sibling states.
“Increase the number of seats in the Assembly and protect the Council,” he said.