There is at talk among the political circles that YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is a man of firm decisions. If he takes any decision, he will go to any extent to see that the decision is implemented.
People have seen him openly questioning the authority of the Congress high command in preventing his “Odarpu Yatra” after his father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy’s death; coming out of the Congress party knowing fully well that he is going to face the consequences; facing 16-months of imprisonment; fighting a lone battle against the TDP and taking out a marathon 3,600 km of padayatra that catapulted him to power in 2019.
Jagan was always prepared to take risks in implementing his decisions, a policy which he has been following even after coming to power.
He firmly wanted to erase everything that is connected to the previous Telugu Desam Party government, including Amaravati.
So, when he wanted to create three capital cities for the state with executive capital at Visakhapatnam, Jagan knew that he would have to face several hurdles. Yet, he is going about the same with a firm stand, irrespective of the lacunae in his decisions.
And now, when the legislative council stood between Jagan and his decision to create three capitals, he did not hesitate a bit to decide on its abolition.
He raised the question in the assembly on Thursday: “Is it necessary?”
Jagan gave a lengthy explanation in the assembly as to why there was no need for a legislative council.
“It is expected to give advices to the government on important policy matters, but it has become a place for the opposition parties to play politics and create hurdles in the decisions of the government,” he said.
He also felt that the council had lost its relevance in the present circumstances as the assembly itself has intellectuals, doctors, engineers, lawyers and constitutional experts.
Moreover, the legislative councils had also become a burden on the state government financially, incurring an expenditure of Rs 60 crore per annum.
Jagan’s argument naturally made the headlines in the newspapers on Friday.
Eenadu quoted him saying: “Do we need a legislative council?” Andhra Jyothy said: “Why do we need a council?” and Sakshi screamed: “What is the use of the council when it doesn’t help people?”
Sakshi dedidcated more than a half page to the discussion the council and highlighted the way the entire state assembly found fault with the stalling of the two crucial bills on the capitals the previous day.
The other two dailies also gave equal prominence to the high court’s directions to the state government to keep the plan, if it has any, to shift the government offices out of Amaravati and if it does, it would be doing at its own risk. Sakshi ignored the same.
The passage of bill in the assembly on introduction of English language compulsorily in all the government schools also figured prominently in all the three major dailies.
The filing of cases against two ministers on the charges of insider trading in Amaravati was yet another story that was highlighted by Sakshi, but was played down in Andhra Jyothy. Eenadu ignored it on the front page.