As expected, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLAs and MLCs, led by former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, attended the first day of the budget session of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature on Monday but walked out within 10 minutes.
The session began with the formal address of the joint session of the State Assembly and Council by Governor S. Abdul Nazeer. As soon as the Governor started his speech, YSRCP legislators attempted to disrupt the proceedings.
They raised slogans such as "Grant us Leader of Opposition status" and "Save Democracy" continuously for 10 minutes, even as Abdul Nazeer continued his address. The MLAs alleged that the ruling coalition government was denying the YSRCP its rightful status.
With the Governor proceeding with his speech and the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition choosing to remain silent, Jagan and his party members staged a walkout, continuing their "Save Democracy" slogans.
Speaking to reporters later, YSRCP leader in the Legislative Council and former minister Botsa Satyanarayana reiterated that the party had been demanding Leader of the Opposition status to hold the government accountable and ensure democratic representation.
"It is our legitimate right to have the Leader of the Opposition status, as we are the only opposition party in the Assembly," he argued.
Earlier, YSRCP MLAs, led by Jagan, marched in a procession from the main entrance to the State Assembly before walking out again as a group.
It remains unclear whether YSRCP will boycott the Assembly for the entire budget session or if their protest was limited to the Governor’s address.
However, given that their sole demand is securing the Leader of the Opposition status, it is unlikely that Jagan and his party MLAs will attend the remaining days of the session.
