TRS stalls AP assembly over Telangana issue

The Andhra Pradesh assembly was adjourned for the day on Thursday without transacting any business as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) stalled the house, demanding a resolution to the Telangana issue by carving out a separate state.

Speaker N. Manohar adjourned the house twice earlier; the third adjournment was for the day, as TRS legislators surrounded his podium demanding that the house take up a debate on the Telangana issue.

Raising slogans of "Jai Telangana" and holding placards, TRS members did not allow the speaker to run the house after he rejected adjournment motions moved by TRS and other opposition parties.
The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), YSR Congress party, both the communist parties and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) wanted a debate on the power cuts and also on the Fuel Surcharge Adjustment (FSA) on electricity consumers.

As soon as the house met for the day, the opposition legislators were on their feet demanding that the house take up their adjournment motions. As the speaker announced that he was disallowing the adjournment motions, the TRS members rushed to the well of the house and sat there.
Repeated appeals by the speaker to the agitating members to return to their seats fell on deaf ears. Amid the din, he adjourned the house for one hour.

When the house re-assembled, the speaker moved a motion to condemn the Feb 21 terror attacks in Hyderabad. After the two-minute silence, the TRS members resumed their protest, forcing the speaker to adjourn the house again for half an hour.

There was no change in the situation when the house re-assembled.
Manohar then adjourned the house till Friday.

The legislative council was also adjourned for the day as the opposition parties stalled proceedings, demanding that the government withdraw the Fuel Surcharge Adjustment (FSA) imposed on electricity consumers.

The TRS had also disrupted Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan's address to the joint session of the legislature Wednesday, the first day of the budget session.
The five-day monsoon session of the state assembly in September last year was also paralysed over the Telangana issue.

TRS, YSRCP give notices for no-trust motion against Cong govt

Telangana Rashtra Samiti and YSR Congress Party today gave separate notices in the Legislative Assembly for a no-confidence motion against ruling Congress government in Andhra Pradesh.

K Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS has 17 MLAs in 294-member House and is banking on the support of CPI, BJP, Lok Satta Party and some Independents. To a query if the party has the backing of 30 MLAs, the required minimum number needed to introduce the no-confidence motion, TRS MLA T Harish Rao replied in the affirmative.

Separately, YSRCP, which has 17 MLAs, also submitted its notice to the Speaker. YSRCP MLA Shobha Nagireddy said, Her party is ready to extend support to whoever moves the no-confidence motion on people's problems. Meanwhile, the Assembly was adjourned for an hour, minutes after the session began as Opposition members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans.  

Assembly condoles death of blasts victims

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly today condoled the death of 17 people in the recent twin blasts in Hyderabad. As Speaker N Manohar read out a message, the members observed silence for a few minutes in memory of those who were killed in the blasts. The Speaker wished speedy recovery to those injured in the terror attack.