The ongoing conflict between Andhra Pradesh legislative council chairman M A Shariff and secretary P Balakrishnamacharyulu over constitution of select committees to study the two capital bills is snowballing into a constitutional crisis.
While the secretary openly defied the orders of Shariff and twice rejected the file sent by the latter to constitute the select committees stating that rules did not permit the same, the council chairman dashed off a letter to Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan demanding that the secretary be sacked.
The Telugu Desam Party strongly came in support of chairman and threatened to move a contempt petition against Balakrishnamacharyulu, the YSR Congress government pitched in the Secretariat employees against the chairman and backing the legislature secretary.
Now, it is interesting to see who would have the last laugh in the process.
The question is whether the legislature secretary can defy the directions of the council chairman. And who is the final authority on implementation of rules – chairman or secretary?
Though as per the rules, the chairman is the supreme authority and whatever he rules is final, in the present circumstances, the secretary is openly defying the chairman because the ruling party is fully supporting him and moreover, the council is going to anyway get abolished.
Secondly, Balakrishnamacharyulu is the secretary for the legislative assembly and is only in-charge of the legislative council. So, he cannot be suspended without the approval from assembly speaker Tammineni Sitaram.
Since it anyway does not happen, the secretary will have the last laugh and Shariff cannot do anything, say sources.
