HYDERABAD: Vizianagaram MLA Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy was unanimously elected as the Deputy Speaker of the AP Legislative Assembly on Monday. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his Cabinet colleagues and MLAs of both the ruling YSRC and opposition TDP accompanied Swamy up to the Chair.
Speaking on the occasion, Jagan said his government is committed to social justice. He hailed Swamy as a loyal leader with commitment. He also lauded former Deputy Speaker Kona Raghupathi who quit the post, paving the way for Swamy’s election and balance the social equations.
Ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao and Botcha Satyanarayana, YSRC MLA Pushpa Srivani, TDLP Deputy Leader K Atchannaidu congratulated Swamy on his election.Stating that Assembly Speaker T Sitaram had confined himself to his right side (looking towards treasury benches) most of the time, Atchannaidu urged the Deputy Speaker to look towards left (opposition benches).
Thanking the Chief Minister and the members for electing him unanimously, Swamy sought the cooperation of members in his endeavour to maintain decorum in the House. Stating that he got the constitutional post only after being elected as a YSRC MLA, he said, “I will discharge my duties in an unbiased manner in the House, and continue as a politician outside.”
He further said he could look towards the opposition members only when they are present in the House from the beginning to the end.