YS Jagan Elated Over The Abolition Of The Legislative Council 

AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he was proud to announce the abolition of the legislative council. He reminded Telugu Desam Party said that when the Sr. NTR abolished the upper house the Eenadu editorials has praised the decision taken by Sr. NTR decision. The Andhra Pradesh Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution to abolish the state Legislative Council as the state government led by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

YS Jagan said that out of 28 states now, only 6 have an upper house, some of the states like Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu don't have councils. The Legislature also has the power to dissolve the Council under Article 169, said AP CM. However, in the present Assembly, there are 38 post-graduates, 13 doctors, 14 engineers and also 68 graduates.

AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said the step was taken to protect the democracy as the Council was being misused by the opposition to create obstacles for the Bills passed by the Assembly which is directly elected by the people.

The public interest was being interrupted by the Council, bills that would benefit the public were blocked in the upper house by TDP with a political agenda, said YSRCP president. The Chief Minister said his government was proud to abolish the Council as it was being misused for political interests and was proving a burden on the state exchequer, with Rs 60 crores per year.

Even before 22 years, the Upper House was abolished during the TDP regime of N.T. Rama Rao in 1985. Jagan Mohan Reddy's move came four days after Legislative Council, dominated by the opposition, referred Bills to create three state capitals to a select committee.

The government has no other way other than abolishing the Council as the legislative dominated by the opposition was stalling key Bills, which are meant for the welfare of all sections of people in the state, said Chief Minister. AP CM has taken this decision four days after Legislative Council, dominated by the opposition, referred Bills to create three state capitals to a select committee.

YS Jagan even expressed confidence that YSRCP will win the majority in the upper house in the coming elections in 2021. But by the time, it will become very late for implementing some key bills which are being blocked by TDP in the upper house. The YSRCP, which has just nine members in 58-member House, but keeping in view of public interest we have taken the decision for the abolition of the upper house, said YS Jagan.

Bills pertaining to introduction English medium at the primary school level, the constitution of separate Commissions for STs and SCs for their overall development and finally the decentralization bill for the development all regions of the state were stalled in the Council. The relevance of such a Council which was obstructing development programmes of the government was seriously discussed, the Chief Minister said.

He said, “Everybody knows that if the Council was allowed to continue, our party would get a full majority. But the need for reaching out to the people through welfare programmes is more important to us than increasing the party strength. Hence, the resolution was passed for the abolition of the Council. It is unfortunate that a section of media was writing that we are trying to buy the MLCs. The same media has kept quiet when democracy was being murdered during Chandrababu Naidu’s regime.”

The Chief Minister quoted civil rights activist Martin Luther King to say, “ The time is always right to do what is right,” to justify the resolution passed to abolish the Council.

Also Read: AP Assembly Passes Resolution For Abolishing Legislative Council