VIJAYAWADA: In what could be seen as a repeat of last year, YSRCP MLAs, led by party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, boycotted the Governor’s address of the joint session of the AP Legislative Assembly and Council, minutes after Governor S Abdul Nazeer commenced his speech, and staged a walkout on Wednesday, the first day of the Budget Session.
Jagan and his MLAs arrived at the State Assembly at 9.58 am, and the Governor’s address commenced at 10 am. A couple of minutes later, YSRCP members stood up and rushed to the podium, raising slogans ‘Edemi Rajyam Dongala Rajyam’, ‘Scrap Privatisation of Medical Colleges’, and ‘No Law and Order in the State’.
Marshals were seen rushing to prevent them from getting onto the Speaker’s podium. Jagan was sitting in his seat, and the party’s Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Botcha Satyanarayana was standing beside him, holding a placard, while the party members were protesting at the podium.
At 10.10 am, with Jagan indicating to them to return, they withdrew their protest, and along with their leader, staged a walkout. Later, Jagan and Botcha left the Assembly premises in their respective vehicles. Interestingly, when Jagan, along with his MLAs and MLCs, entered and left, ‘Govinda Govinda’ slogans were heard from the treasury benches.
In an informal chat with mediapersons in the lobbies later, Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu quipped that on the 11th day, 11 MLAs stayed in the House for 11 minutes and left.
Earlier, YSRCP legislators and MLCs marched to the Assembly demanding Leader of the Opposition status for Jagan. Outside, MLCs V Kalyani and Kalapalatha Reddy dismissed the Governor’s speech as a “script from NTR Bhavan,” calling it anti-people and misleading.
At the YSRCP headquarters, Yerragondapalem MLA Tatiparthi Chandrasekhar sharpened the attack, describing the address as a “compilation of lies” filled with inflated figures and distortions. He accused the coalition government of avoiding debate, denying YSRCP opposition status, and pushing the State into debt of Rs 3.27 lakh crore while halting welfare schemes. He alleged misplaced priorities on Amaravati real estate, and Visakhapatnam land allotments instead of genuine development.
He further charged that social security pensions were cut, housing projects stalled, fee reimbursement dues unpaid, and Aarogyasri services weakened. He criticised rising electricity tariff, encroachments on temple and Waqf lands, and privatisation of medical colleges.
He warned that the denial of opposition rights undermines democracy, and reiterated YSRCP’s readiness to challenge the government in the Assembly if granted recognition.