HYDERABAD: TRS Medak legislator Padma Devender Reddy is all set to be elected as the deputy speaker of the Telangana State Assembly. Her election is likely to be unanimous as opposition parties are not fielding candidates.
Padma, on Wednesday, filed her nomination papers after Governor ESL Narasimhan addressed a joint session of the lesgislature. Legislative affairs minister T Harish Rao, IT minister K taraka Rama Rao and other senior party leaders accompanied her to Assembly secretary S Raja Sadaram’s chamber.
“Padma’s election to the post of deputy speaker is a foregone comclusion as the party has enough numbers to win the post single handedly,” Harish Rao said. Earlier, Rao tried to convince opposition parties to support Padma’s candidature. The opposition parties argued as they had supported the Speaker’s candidature, it was the duty of the ruling party to accord the deputy speaker’s post to them.
Later, TDLP leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao, A Revanth Reddy, Congress MLA J Geeta Reddy, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and BJPLP leader K Lakshman met chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in his chambers and requested him to offer the post of deputy speaker to the opposition.
Refusing to oblige to theie demand, KCR said like the Congress and TDP had kept the deputy speaker’s post to themselves in the past, he too had decided to do the same.
When Revanth Reddy tried explaining to the chief minister about the tradition being followed in Assemblies of giving the deputy speaker’s post to the opposition, KCR questioned him as to whether Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu was doing the same? Taken aback, Revanth Reddy said he was not keeping track of activities in the neighbouring states.
KCR made it clear that Padma would be the deputy speak of the Telangana Assembly. “ Maybe next time we might offer the post to the opposition. Instead of wasting time by filing nominations, opposition parties should support her candidature,” he suggested.
Sources within the party said Padma had been convinced by the leadership to accept the post though she had earlier shown reluctance as she anticipated a Cabinet berth. She said she would her party’s decision and accept the post of deputy speaker.
A law graduate, Padma is a two-time MLA from Ramayampet. She contested the 2009 elections as a rebel after she was denied a ticket.
KCR snubs revanth
When Reventh Reddy of the TDP told KCR about the tradition being followed in Assemblies of giving Dy Speaker’s post to the Opposition parties, the latter questioned him as to whether AP CM Chandrababu Naidu was doing the same.