Who will be the new Speaker of the second Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly?
This is the question making the rounds in political circles, as the countdown for the commencement of the first session of the new government has begun.
It is widely believed that the political career of those who serve as the Speaker will come to an end.
What is lending credence to this belief is the experience of those who have occupied the top post, but failed to succeed in the direct elections thereafter.
From K. Pratibha Bharati to Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, the leaders have failed miserably at the hustings.
Ms. Bharati had served as the Speaker in the combined Andhra Pradesh Assembly from 1999 to 2004. She was the first woman Speaker in A.P.’s history. She had served as Minister for Social Welfare in 1983, 1985 and 1994 and as Minister for High Education in 1998. But she lost the election in 2004, the year the Congress, led by Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy came to power.
Dr. Reddy chose K.R. Suresh Reddy as the Speaker. He was the first person from Nizamabad district to occupy the post in the combined State.
Though the Congress had retained power in 2009, Mr. Suresh Redddy, a four-time MLA, lost the election because of the alliance between the TDP and the TRS, and the emergence of actor-turned-politician K. Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party (PRP). Delimitation exercise was another factor that led to the defeat of Mr. Suresh Reddy. In 2009, the Balkonda constituency that he had been representing was reorganised. Dr. Reddy then asked him to contest from Armoor constituency.
Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy filled the gap in 2009 and served as the Speaker for a brief period and went on to become the Chief Minister of the combined State. He later deserted the Congress and floated the Jai Samaikhyandhra Party in 2014, but lost the elections.
After bifurcation, Mr. Siva Prasada Rao, who had served as a Minister in his previous stints, was elected Speaker of first Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He, however, lost the elections in 2019.
Former Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu had served as the Speaker of the combined State from 1994-1999. Though he managed to win the elections in 1999, he failed to succeed in the subsequent elections. Later, he decided not to contest direct elections.
Given this backdrop, it is said that the YSRCP MLAs are not so keen on taking up the Speaker’s post.
