HYDERABAD: In the wake of the deadlock over the nomination of two MLCs under the Governor’s quota, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday urged Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to clear the names of Professor M Kodandaram and minister Mohammed Azharuddin for their nomination to the Legislative Council.
On Sunday, accompanied by Legislative Affairs and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu and MP Vem Narender Reddy, the chief minister met the Governor at Lok Bhavan.
Sources said that during the meeting, Revanth briefed the Governor on the urgency of nominating Azharuddin, pointing out that the Minister for Minorities Welfare must become a member of either the Assembly or the Council by the end of April to continue in the Cabinet, as he is currently not a member of either House.
As per the Constitution, a person must get elected to either of the legislative bodies within six months of being inducted into the Cabinet.
Azharuddin will complete his six-month term by the end of April, and if he fails to become a member of the Council or Assembly, he will have to resign from the ministry. With the deadline fast approaching, the chief minister requested the Governor to clear his nomination, stating that it is a constitutional necessity.
Regarding Kodandaram, sources said the chief minister explained to the Governor that the former Osmania University professor had led the Telangana statehood movement and is an eminent personality in the state.
The nomination of MLCs under the Governor’s quota has been stuck in a legal dispute since the previous BRS government recommended Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana for the posts. However, the then Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan rejected the proposal. Subsequently, Sravan and Satyanarayana approached the court challenging the Governor’s decision.
After the Congress came to power, it recommended Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan for nomination as MLCs under the Governor’s quota. However, the Supreme Court later set aside the process and directed the government to reconsider the names. The government then reviewed the matter and recommended Azharuddin along with Kodandaram.
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The chief minister reportedly briefed the Governor on the urgency of nominating Azharuddin, as he would have to resign as a minister if he fails to become a member of the Council by the end of April. As per the Constitution, a person must become a member of either of the legislative bodies within six months of being inducted into the Cabinet or resign