No-confidence motion against Andhra speaker defeated

The no-confidence motion moved by opposition YSR Congress Party against Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao was defeated on Tuesday.

A total of 97 members opposing it, while 57 legislators belonging to the lone opposition party supported it.

Eight members of YSRCP, who recently crossed over to ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), abstained.

The voting took place after two-hour-long debate on the motion. The YSRCP alleged that speaker is running the house in violation of rules and ignoring the opposition.

Deputy Speaker M. Buddha Prasad, who was in the chair, conducted the voting on a request by Legislative Affairs minister Y. Ramakrishnudu.

The motion against the speaker was moved a day after he declared the no-trust motion moved by the opposition against the government rejected with a voice vote even as YSRCP pressed for division.

Speaking on the no-confidence motion against the speaker, YSRCP member K. Sridhar Reddy said they moved the motion as the speaker suspended the opposition legislator K. Roja from the house for one year. He alleged that the speaker is ignoring violation of rules by the ruling party members.

Leader of Opposition Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy said the speaker was acting like a TDP member.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu defended the speaker and promised to extend all possible cooperation as the leader of the house in running the business of the assembly.

Stating that he knows Kodela since 1984, Naidu said he always tried to use politics to solve people's problems. He recalled Kodela's contributions in various fields, including the key role he played in building Basvatarakam Cancer Hospital in Hyderabad.