For KCR and YS Jagan, Telangana and AP assemblies become a no-go zone after poll debacle

Former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao was last seen in the assembly for during the budget session in July while former Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy entered the Assembly hall only once to take oath

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and K Chandrashekar Rao YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and K Chandrashekar Rao | PTI

A voice that dominated the Telangana Assembly for close to a decade has gone completely silent over the past few months. Former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President and former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has deprived the house of his interesting anecdotes, fiery speeches, and sharp rebuttals. Exactly a year ago, his party lost the Assembly elections to the Congress party. Though KCR was elected as the main opposition leader, he decided to stay away from the Assembly.

The new term has witnessed four Assembly sessions, and KCR entered the hall just once, in July of this year. He was seen in the Assembly for a couple of hours during the budget session. Initially, his movements were restricted as he underwent hip surgery. In February, he entered the Assembly premises but took the oath in the speaker’s chamber and left. Barring these two occasions, KCR has confined himself mostly to his farmhouse located on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Filling his shoes are party working president and his son, KT Rama Rao and former Finance Minister and nephew, Harish Rao. Recently, a session was held to pay tributes to former PM Manmohan Singh. KCR holds a special connection with the former PM, as it was during UPA 1 under PM Singh that KCR served as Union Shipping and Labour Minister. Also, it was during Singh’s time that the formal process of bifurcating Telangana was kickstarted. Though KCR was invited to be a part of the special session, he skipped it for reasons unknown. It is highly likely that KCR will continue to maintain this stand next year as well.

In the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, it has now almost become a norm not to see the main opposition party leaders in the Assembly. Currently, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President and former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has not been attending the sessions after his party lost in the assembly polls held simultaneously with the general elections in May of this year. Jagan has not been allotted the opposition party leader status in view of his party not having the required percentage of MLAs. YSRCP has contested this decision and the matter is pending in courts.

Even then, Jagan is seen as the voice and face of the opposition. Jagan entered the Assembly hall only once after he lost his position as CM, when he took the oath and left immediately. In July, he also protested at the assembly premises alleging political violence against his party members by the TDP government. He wasn’t seen in the latest session of the Assembly proceedings.

In the last term, between 2019 and 2024, current CM and former CM N Chandrababu Naidu decided to boycott the Assembly after alleging humiliating treatment from the ruling YSRCP members. He vowed not to enter the Assembly until he became CM again. Between 2014 and 2019, Jagan was missing in the Assembly for the later half of the term. As an opposition leader then, Jagan objected to TDP’s alleged poaching of his party MLAs. Angered and unconvinced by the Speaker's inaction, he decided to stay away from the Assembly and undertook a walkathon (Padayatra) across the state to highlight people’s issues, which ultimately won him power.

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