‘Amaravati Is SC Constituency, Not Dominated By Kammas’

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLC Ashok Babu ridiculed the YCP government for claiming that the Constitutional procedure of passing both the controversial Capital Bills was completed and sent for the Governor’s consent.

The two important bills regarding the Capital which are being resisted by the Opposition TDP are repeal of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) Act and Decentralisation of Development, through trifurcation of the Capital.

Referring to AP state advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy’s press conference on the bills wherein he said that as the process for sending the Bills to the Select Committee had not been completed and so there did not arise a need to send it to the Select Committee, Ashok Babu faulted the YCP leaders for skipping constituting the Select Committee by threatening the official concerned and ensuring that the relevant orders were not issued.

Both the Bills got passed in the Assembly where the YCP has a majority but were stalled in the Legislative Council where the Opposition TDP has a majority.

Sajjala also accused TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu of influencing the Legislative Council by sitting in the gallery when the Bills were introduced for the first time in January. He also criticised Naidu for not being able to shake off the outdated and cheap politics. The YCP leader reminded that CM Jagan Mohan Reddy was elected to power with a big mandate and that itself gives him the power to take decisions on behalf of the people. He has vision to ensure equal development of all the regions by trifurcating the capital and this has been accepted by the people, though gradually, he said.

To this, the TDP MLC questioned if the 3-capital was accepted by the people, why should the YCP government fast track the process even when the people were caught in the Corona crisis. He also said that the YCP should not think that the mandate was permanent. “If that is the case, there will be no change of government which were voted to power with big mandate.”

Ashok Babu also faulted the YCP leaders for trying to picturise Amaravati as a constituency dominated by one of the wealthy communities in the society, forgetting the fact that Amaravati is a SC reserved constituency. “More than 60 per cent of the population here are SCs and BCs,” he pointed out and slammed the YCP for accusing their party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu of favouring only one community.

He ridiculed the YCP leaders for contradicting their own statements and arguments with regard to the trifurcation of the capital. Ashok Babu alleged that the YCP government was acting “opportunistic”. “Before the court, they said that the capital would be moved only after the entire legal proceedings are over and now, trying to skip some steps in the basic procedure.”

Sajjala exuded confidence that the Governor would express his consent to both the Bills as the due procedure has been followed. He criticised the TDP for trying to create hurdles in the passing of the Bills by raising petty issues which have no significance even in the Constitution.