# India

Telangana BJP MLAs refuse to be administered oath by Akbaruddin Owaisi

There are eight BJP MLAs, all first timers except for T Raja Singh who was elected from Goshamahal for a second term.

Statesman News Service | Hyderabad | December 8, 2023 7:51 pm

Telangana BJP MLAs refuse to be administered oath by Akbaruddin Owaisi

The decision of the Congress government to appoint AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi as the protem speaker has not gone down well with BJP MLAs who have decided to boycott the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for tomorrow.

There are eight BJP MLAs, all first timers except for T Raja Singh who was elected from Goshamahal for a second term.

Usually, a senior-most member among Opposition MLAs is appointed protem speaker to administer oath of office to the new members and preside over the speaker’s election. Former chief minister KCR is one of the senior-most MLAs in the current Assembly but he has been hospitalised.

In 2018, the BRS government had appointed AIMIM MLA Mumtaz Khan as protem speaker when Singh, the lone MLA from the BJP, had refused to take oath from him. He had taken oath in the state assembly only after a full-time speaker, Pocharam Srinivas, was elected unanimously.

Referring to the allegations raised by the Congress of BJP-BRS and AIMIM had a tacit understanding, Singh asked in a video grab, “I want to ask Revanth Reddy today what is your relation with AIMIM. There were a number of senior leaders from various parties but instead of appointing them you have done a grave mistake with your attempt to appease the minorities and keep the AIMIM happy.”