VIJAYAWADA: Making it clear that former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is the floor leader of YSRC and not the Leader of Opposition (LoP) as per the rules, Legislative Affairs Minister Payyavula Keshav has asserted that there is no possibility to give the status of LoP to him.
Payyavula also took potshots at Jagan for his claim that he was not allowed to take the oath in the Assembly after the Leader of the House.
“It is a fact that the LoP should be allowed to take the oath after the Leader of the House as said by Jagan. But, his party does not have the required numbers to consider him as the LoP. As per the rules, after the Leader of the House, it will be the turn of LoP, ministers and MLAs in alphabetical order. However, Jagan though is not the LoP, he was given the chance to take the oath after the ministers,” he explained.
Taking strong exception to the letter written by Jagan requesting the AP Legislative Assembly Speaker to consider the YSRC as the principal opposition party, and himself as the LoP citing that there is no rule mandating 10% seats a must for recognition of the principal opposition party, Payyavula suggested the former chief minister to refer to the MN Kaul and SL Shakdher book and Assembly rule book to know the conventions and rules of Parliament and Assembly.
Speaking to mediapersons on the premises of the Assembly on Wednesday, he recalled that it was Jagan, who threatened TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu to remove him from the post of LoP by taking six of his MLAs.
“Jagan may be of the view that he can get the Cabinet rank with the LoP status, and will be able to exhibit his highhandedness. He should give up such an attitude and think for the people,” Payyavula said and felt that it will take at least another 10 years for the YSRC chief to get the status of LoP.
“If Jagan wrote that letter on his own, I suggest that he change his attitude and respect the people’s mandate, who did not give his party the principal opposition status. If it was written as per the suggestion of his advisors, he should change them as we all know what happened to him with his advisors,” Keshav observed.
Observing that Jagan attempted to threaten the Speaker by writing such a letter, in which he claimed LoP as his right, the Legislative Affairs Minister said at least now the YSRC chief should respect the mandate of the people.
Finding fault with Jagan for the reference that P Janardhan Reddy of Congress was given the status of LoP in 1994, Payyavula made it clear that Reddy was not given such status, and he only acted as the floor leader of the CLP.