The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Monday passed a resolution to pave way for abolition of the Legislative Council.

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy moved a statutory resolution in the Assembly earlier in the day seeking the abolition of the Legislative Council, which was approved by the members.

Earlier in the day, the State Cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister passed a resolution to abolish the council. The resolution was later moved in the Assembly and after a debate was approved with 133 members present in the 175-member House.

Reddy said there was no need to have a council which was creating hurdles in making laws by elected representatives. Justifying the move, he said the Council Chairman’s decision to refer important Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly to the Select Committee had caused concern among members of the Assembly and were against the interest of people.

The AP Legislative Council with 58 members is dominated by the opposition Telugu Desam Party with 32 members and the ruling YSR Congress Party has 9 members. With the numbers not expected to change for at least two more years, the Jagan government expects a tough task in carrying out legislative business. The government is facing the heat with the Legislative Council trying to block the proposed three capitals, as opposed to Amaravati as a capital city which was being developed by the N Chandrababau Naidu regime. The government sees this as a move to provide a decentralised development model for the State.

While the Legislative Assembly passed the Bills seeking the three capitals and repeal of the AP Capital Area Development Authority, the TDP-dominated Council has been insisting on referring them to a select committee.

During the NT Rama Rao-led Telugu Desam regime, the Council was abolished in the united AP in 1985, which was later revived by the Congress regime.

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