New Delhi: Scripting a new chapter in the state's legislative history, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council was revived on Monday after a gap of over two decades.
Governor Rameshwar Thakur at a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Monday administered the oath to CPI leader P Nageswara Rao as the pro-tem chairman of the 90-member Council.
While Assembly Speaker K R Suresh Reddy, several ministers and legislators attended the ceremony, the main Opposition TDP, which has vowed to abolish the Council if voted to power in the next elections, boycotted the swearing-in ceremony, along with Telangana Rashtra Samithi and BJP.
Later, the Governor inaugurated the historic Council Hall, renovated at a cost of Rs 6 crores, where the House of Elders will hold its sessions. Soon after, the pro-tem chairman administered oath to the new members of the Council for which elections were held recently.
Senior Congressman A Chakrapani is tipped to be elected as the chairman. The nominations for the post would be received till the evening and a formal announcement will be made tomorrow.
The first session of the Upper House will conclude on April 10 after adopting the motion of thanks.
Only 64 members took oath on Monday, as the announcement of results with respect to 23 LACs is being delayed following complaints filed before the Election Commission while the polls have been postponed in the case of three other LACs.
The Council was abolished in 1985 by the then TDP government headed by late N T Rama Rao. The revival of the upper house was one of the key pre-poll promises of the ruling Congress.
The state Assembly had, on July 8, 2005, passed a resolution recommending to the Centre the revival of the Council.
The Council has a strength of 90 members, of which 31 are elected by the MLAs, 31 by Local Authorities Constituencies (LACs), eight each from Graduates and Teachers constituencies and the remaining 12 are nominated by the Governor.
Elections for the Legislative Council were held on March amidst allegations by the opposition about electoral malpractices.
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