TDP leaders held for protest over Andhra council row in Machilipatnam, released later

Former Andhra Pradesh minister Kollu Ravindra and former MP K Narayana Rao were arrested and later released by the police on Wednesday for taking out a motorcycle rally against the abolition of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council.

Responding to a call given by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the two leaders had come to the party office in Machilipatnam to start the two-wheeler rally.

However, the rally was stopped by the police as no permission was given for it. The police, led by Machilipatnam DSP Mehboob Basha, arrested the TDP leaders, who were released subsequently.

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Monday night passed the statutory resolution seeking to abolish the state Legislative Council after the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government failed to get two crucial Bills on its plans to have three capitals for the state cleared by the Upper House last week.

A day after the state Assembly passed it unanimously, the state government on Tuesday dispatched the statutory resolution seeking abolition of the Legislative Council, for follow-up action, to the Union Government.

In accordance with Article 169 (1) of the Constitution, Parliament has to enact an enabling legislation to abolish the Legislative Council.

The Union Cabinet has to first take up the matter and decide whether or not to go ahead with the Council abolition as sought by the Andhra Pradesh government.

If the Cabinet agrees, the issue will come before Parliament for necessary enactment, as per procedure.

The TDP, which decided to stay away from the Assembly session, has said that the resolution passed in the cabinet and the Assembly was only a proposal.

It has also termed the move by the YSRCP to abolish the Council as 'most undemocratic' and 'illegal'. 

Accepting the TDP's demand, the Council hairman had last week referred the 'three capital' Bills to a select committee, drawing strong protests from the ruling party, which alleged that the TDP brought pressure on the Chairman to stall the Bills.

The Bills are aimed at creating Visakhapatnam and Kurnool as the state capitals in addition to existing capital Amaravati.

Read:

As Andhra dissolves Legislative Council, what happens to two ministers who are MLCs?

Andhra govt has no power to abolish Legislative Council, says TDP

With inputs from PTI