Veteran TDP leader Ayyanna Patrudu was today unanimously elected as the new Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan and BJP minister Y Satya Kumar led him to the Speaker’s podium as YSRCP leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy chose to stay away, travelling to his constituency Pulivendula. Since the only nomination submitted was for Patrudu’s candidature he was elected unopposed, declared Protem Speaker G Butchaiah Chowdary.
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Later, in his maiden address Naidu urged his MLAs to utilise the floor of the House to discussing people’s problems while rueing that the previous regime under YSRCP had reduced the House to Kaurava Sabha, levelling baseless allegations and passing objectionable comments against the Opposition leaders and targeting their family members.
He recalled how the YSRCP had derided the TDP saying they had won only 23 seats but now it has been reduced to 11 which is the number you get after adding all digits of the 164 (seats won by the NDA).
He also recalled how the YSRCP had vowed not to allow Jana Sena to even touch the gates of the Assembly but the party won all the seats it contested with 100 per cent strike rate.
Praising his deputy chief minister Naidu said, “Pawan Kalyan knows where to win and where to bow down.”
The chief minister outlined his priorities -completing Polavaram, bringing investment to the state, linking rivers, employment for the youth and improving schools and education system. “I wish that the House will function in a smooth manner to take the state to number one position in the country and to remove economic imbalances,” said the chief minister.
On the election of Ayyanna Patrudu as the Speaker of the House he recalled that the seven-time-MLA in his youth had responded to the call of NT Rama Rao to join politics and contested Assembly elections and won. This was his tenth election from the same constituency Narsipatnam in Anakapalle district of the state.
