Political Pickle

Naidu not to attend Jagan swearing-in ceremony, may get another invite

Chandrababu Naidu who was elected as the Leader of the Telugu Desam Legislature party, has decided to skip YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s swearing-in ceremony in Vijayawada on 30 May. On Tuesday, CM-designate Jagan had called up Naidu to invite him to the event. 

Jaganmohan Reddy at Tirumala temple on 29 May

Naidu reportedly put up Jagan’s invite for discussion at the meeting, asking seniors in the party for their opinion if he should go. But the opinion was to avoid going as the ceremony was being held at the stadium with a capacity of about 22000 people, who would be largely YSR Congress supporters. The apprehension was Naidu could be booed and jeered and in this age of social media, such visuals would only go viral, embarrassing the party and its chief. The TDP has decided to send senior leaders to represent the party at the official event.

There could however, be a second invite coming Naidu’s way. This time to be the pro-tem Speaker of the House. 

Chandrababu Naidu with TDP MLAs and MPs

According to convention, the senior most legislator in the House performs the role of the Pro-tem speaker and administers the oath to all the newly-elected lawmakers. Naidu by virtue of having been MLA since 1978, the youngest in Andhra’s history at that time, the youngest minister at the age of 28 in T Anjaiah’s cabinet, three-time chief minister and the leader of the Opposition twice, is the seniormost lawmaker in the new House. Naidu on many occasions, has in fact, boasted about being senior in politics to Prime minister Narendra Modi. 

Since it is highly unlikely that Naidu will agree to this proposal as it will involve administering the oath as MLA to Jagan, former Education minister and Visakhapatnam North MLA, Ganta Srinivasa Rao may be requested to be pro-tem speaker. 

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