Since the BJP MLAs have decided not to take oath till Akbaruddin Owaisi functions as the Pro-tem Speaker, they would not be able to participate in the Speaker’s election. Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundarajan, however, administered the oath to Akbaruddin Owaisi at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday. The Pro-tem Speaker also oversees the election of the Speaker.
The BJP accused the Congress government of pandering to the wishes of certain sections of the people for appeasement politics. The party also alleged that the Congress has an understanding with the AIMIM. The BJP MLAs skipped the oath-taking programme and instead visited the Bhagya Lakshmi Temple at Charminar along with state party president G Kishan Reddy. The BJP has eight MLAs in the newly constituted Assembly, seven more than the last time. In 2018, BJP MLA Raja Singh did not take oath from AIMIM MLA Mumtaz Khan for the same reason.
In a letter to the Governor, the eight newly elected BJP MLAs said, “Although there are many members who are senior to Akbaruddin Owaisi, the government chose to appoint him as the Pro-tem Speaker in clear violation of the established norms.” They went on to add, “The Telangana BJP also requests you to instruct the officials concerned to withhold the process of election of a new full-time Speaker for the newly constituted Assembly pending nomination of a seniormost member as the Speaker. The Telangana BJP otherwise will be compelled to refrain from taking oath in front of a person who is appointed against the norms.”