Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes resolution to abolish Legislative Council

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Monday (January 27) passed a statutory resolution seeking to abolish the Legislative Council of the state. The move to abolish the Legislative Council comes days after Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy-led government in the state failed to get two bills on its plans to have three capitals passed by the Upper House, which is dominated by main opposition Telugu Desam Party of N Chandrababu Naidu.

It is learnt that 133 MLAs in the 175-member House voted in favour of the resolution which was adopted under Article 169 (1) of the Constitution. Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Tammineni Seetaram informed the legislators that the resolution was adopted by a majority as stipulated under Article 169 (1) related to abolition or creation of Legislative Councils in states. The TDP, however, staged a walkout before the voting in protest against the government’s decision to abolish the council.

Notably, the TDP enjoys the absolute majority in the 58-member legislative council and it had been delaying two bills dealing with the decentralization of the Andhra Pradesh's capital. According to reports, the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), miffed with the constant roadblock created by TDP in the council, wants to abolish the Council to end the hurdle once and for all.

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On the other hand, the YSRCP has a majority in the legislative assembly, 151 of 175 members, in the 58-member upper house, it has only nine seats. TDP with 26 seats has a full-fledged majority and controls the major part of the council. 

The Andhra Pradesh upper house was first abolished in 1885 when the TDP had come to power and the Congress was in the majority in the council. The council was later restored in 2007 by Jaganmohan Reddy's father and then Chief Minister, late YS Rajasekhar Reddy.