UNREASONABLE DESIRE!! AP Speaker Rejects Jagan’s LoP Demand, Cites Insufficient Numbers

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker C Ayyannapatrudu on Wednesday dismissed YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s demand for Leader of the Opposition (LoP) status, calling it an “unreasonable desire.” The Speaker emphasized that the YSRCP, with only 11 MLAs in the 175-member House, falls short of the required one-tenth strength—18 members—for such recognition.

Ayyannapatrudu clarified that only the Speaker holds the authority to designate the LoP, guided by constitutional provisions, legal mandates, and precedents. He noted that even if multiple opposition parties have equal strength, the Speaker’s decision to recognize one leader remains final. “Jagan is aware of these rules,” he remarked.

The Speaker invoked the precedent set by GV Mavalankar, India’s first Lok Sabha Speaker, which requires an opposition party to have strength equivalent to the House quorum—one-tenth of total members. This standard, Ayyannapatrudu said, is consistently upheld across Parliament and state legislatures, including Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing recent media reports, the Speaker debunked claims that the High Court had summoned him or directed him to rule on Reddy’s LoP plea. He clarified that Reddy’s writ petition remains unadmitted, accusing the YSRCP leader of spreading “false and fabricated” references to mislead the public. “This ruling aims to end such malicious propaganda,” he stated.

The TDP-led alliance dominates the Assembly with 135 TDP MLAs, alongside Janasena (21) and BJP (8), while YSRCP’s 11 seats leave it well below the LoP threshold. Ayyannapatrudu stressed that discretionary recognition without meeting numerical criteria would undermine established norms, effectively shutting down Reddy’s bid for the coveted opposition role.