Andhra Pradesh”s main opposition the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Monday said the state government or the Assembly has no power to abolish the Legislative Council and the decision would depend on the Centre. The TDP, which decided to stay away from the Assembly session, said the resolution passed in the cabinet and introduced in the Council was only a proposal. “Even if the Assembly passes the resolution, it will only be a proposal. Only Parliament has the right to abolish the Council,” the TDP leader in the Council and former minister Y. Ramakrishnudu told reporters.
He termed as ”most undemocratic” and ”illegal” the move by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to abolish the Council. He alleged that the government is doing this only because it lacked a majority in the Upper House and the chairman referred three capital Bills to a select committee. Ramakrishnudu said the process of abolishing the council will be a lengthy one. “The resolution passed by the State Assembly has to go to the Union Cabinet, and then the Law Ministry will prepare a draft Bill, which has to be passed by Parliament,” he said.
The senior leader said that the entire process may take a minimum of two years, but hastened to add that this would depend on the ruling party at the Centre. “Till President issues a notification, the Legislative Council will be live,” he said. The TDP leader said Council Chairman Mohammed Ahmed Shariff may go ahead with the process of constituting the select committee to look into the two Bills aimed at creating three state capitals. Defending the action of the TDP, which has a majority in the 58-member Council, he said the party also fought against injustice and it acted to safeguard the state”s interests. Accepting the TDP”s demand, the chairman had last week referred the Bills to a select committee, drawing strong protests from the ruling party, which alleged that the TDP brought pressure on the Chairman to stall the Bills.
The Bills aimed at creating Visakhapatnam and Kurnool as the state capitals in addition to existing capital Amaravati were passed by the Assembly on January 20.
