YSRCP Demands Leader of Opposition Status: Jagan Mohan Reddy
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Synopsis
On March 5, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, President of YSRCP and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, claimed that his party is the only opposition in the state Assembly and should be granted the status of opposition party.
Key Takeaways
- YSRCP claims to be the sole opposition party in the Assembly.
- Speaker's ruling requires a minimum of 18 members for opposition status.
- YSRCP secured 11 seats but holds a significant vote share.
- Recognition as opposition is essential for voicing concerns.
- Comparison made with AAP granting BJP opposition status despite low MLA count.
Amaravati, March 5 (NationPress) YSRCP President and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, asserted on Wednesday that his party stands as the sole opposition in the state Assembly, and therefore deserves to be recognized with opposition party status.
Following a ruling from Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu, which dismissed Jagan Mohan Reddy's appeal for Leader of Opposition status, he questioned the purpose of the Assembly if the only opposition party is not acknowledged.
He emphasized that the YSRCP should be acknowledged as the opposition since no other party is present in that capacity.
“There is no other party apart from us representing the opposition. The BJP, Jana Sena, and TDP are allied together. They form the ruling coalition,” Jagan Mohan Reddy informed the media.
Moreover, the former Chief Minister noted that there is no legislation that outlines specific criteria for recognizing a party as the opposition.
The Speaker explained that for a party to be acknowledged in the 175-member Assembly as an opposition party, a minimum of 18 members is required to consider a leader for the Leader of the Opposition acknowledgment.
The YSR Congress Party secured only 11 seats in the last Assembly elections.
“Regardless of the numbers, we have garnered a 40 percent vote share. This remains true whether it’s accepted or not. If we, as the only opposition party, are not afforded the recognition, then who will be acknowledged as the opposition?” he questioned.
“Should a party gain recognition as the opposition, they would inherently elect their leader who automatically becomes the Leader of the Opposition,” he added.
Jagan Mohan Reddy pointed out that recognition provides advantages to the Leader of the Opposition, such as receiving equal speaking time as the Leader of the House from the Speaker. “Why is this necessary? It’s to allow the opposition to express their viewpoints. Only when the opposition is allowed to voice concerns can the government respond appropriately,” he stated.
“If the opposition is silenced, it is merely a mockery of the Assembly,” the YSRCP chief remarked.
He referenced the previous Delhi Assembly, where the AAP granted the BJP opposition status despite having only three MLAs in an 80-member House. A member of the BJP was acknowledged as the Leader of the Opposition.
When the YSRCP was in power, they conferred the Leader of the Opposition status to Chandrababu Naidu.
“My party members suggested that five of the TDP MLAs should sit separately while we draw in another ten MLAs to our party; however, I disagreed. I encouraged Chandrababu Naidu to speak in the Assembly for as long as he wished, and I would listen. This illustrates the difference between him and me,” he concluded.
