First session of Telangana Assembly begins, newly-elected MLAs take oath

Hyderabad: The first session of the Third Telangana Assembly began here on Saturday and the oath taking process of the newly-elected MLAs is underway.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was the first to take oath, followed by deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi presided over the proceedings as the pro-tem Speaker.

Before the commencement of the session, Owaisi was administered the oath by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan as the pro- tem Speaker at Raj Bhavan.

Meanwhile, the BJP decided to boycott the oath taking event, alleging violation of Assembly rules in the appointment of Akbaruddin Owaisi as pro-tem Speaker.

Owaisi was appointed as pro-tem Speaker though there were other senior members in the House, state BJP president G Kishan Reddy alleged.

"There is a tradition of a senior person being appointed as the pro-tem Speaker in the Assembly. The BJP opposes the appointment of AIMIM's Akbaruddin Owaisi as pro-tem Speaker as per an understanding (of Congress) with AIMIM," Reddy told reporters.

Observing that Congress has only a wafer-thin majority in the Assembly, he claimed that the government is faced with a situation of collapsing even for a small pretext. In view of this, the AIMIM member is made the pro-tem Speaker as per a plan, he alleged.

"Because of the violation of the legislative assembly's rules, we are opposing the appointment of the AIMIM person as the pro-tem Speaker. Therefore, our members are boycotting from taking oath with him in the chair," he said.

The Congress has begun its appeasement politics and violation of the traditions of legislative assembly just three days after assuming power, Reddy alleged.

He pointed out that the BJP has already claimed that there is a tacit understanding between Congress and AIMIM.

During the recent election campaign, it was alleged (by Congress) that the BJP and AIMIM were one. Now, Telangana people should know on what criteria Owaisi has been made as pro-tem Speaker in violation of rules, Reddy said.

The true colours of Congress have come out again, he added.

The BJP would like the election of Speaker to be held after the appointment of a senior member as pro-tem Speaker. The party would take up the issue with the Governor, he said.

The BJP MLAs would take oath after the regular Speaker assumes office, Reddy said.