VIJAYAWADA: The ongoing session of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly convened to pay condolences to Nandyal MLA Bhuma Nagi Reddy, has turned into a battleground for political mudslinging after the Opposition party YSR Congress decided not to attend the meeting. The YSRC leaders, led by YS Jaganmohan Reddy, convened a separate condolence meeting in the YSRC Legislative Party office on the Assembly premises.
Following the sudden demise of Nagi Reddy on Sunday, a holiday was declared on Monday to enable the legislators to attend his funeral. Sessions were convened in both the AP Legislative Assembly as well as the Legislative Council on Tuesday, to condole his death.
While leaders from the ruling Telugu Desam Party and its ally BJP ridiculed the decision of the YSRC to not participate in the discussion and offer condolences, YSRC chief Jagan said that he along with his mother Vijayalakshmi had already offered condolences to the bereaved family over phone. He claimed that while YSRC gave Nagi Reddy the coveted post of Public Accounts Committee chairman, the TDP first lured him with the promise of a minister's post and caused him mental agony by denying it later. However, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu rubbished the allegations.
Nagi Reddy's daughter Akhila Priya also attended the condolence meeting convened at the AP Assembly and vowed to fulfill the dreams of her parents Nagi Reddy and Sobha Nagi Reddy by serving the needy. She said that she was attending the meeting as the Assembly was convened in her father's honour.
Later, the session was adjourned for the day and the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), which met here after the session, decided to extend the session till March 31. It has also scheduled the presentation of the State Budget 2017-18 at 10.25 am in the AP Assembly on Wednesday. While finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu will present the budget in the Assembly, municipal administration minister P Narayana will present the budget in the Legislative Council at the same time. Agriculture minister P Pulla Rao will present the agriculture budget in the Assembly after the main budget presentation.