Gutha likely to be renominated

Cabinet to okay MLC seat in Gov. quota

Telangana Legislative Council chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy is likely to be re-nominated as MLC under Governor quota. TRS sources said Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao has decided to continue Sukender Reddy as chairman of the Legislative Council.

his term as MLC and Council chairman ends on June 3. An MLC vacancy under the Governor quota will arise on June 16, when incumbent MLC Madireddy Srinivas Reddy’s term ends.

The Election Commission had recently deferred elections to six MLC seats under MLAs quota but has left out the governor quota. Following this, the CM decided to convene a Cabinet meeting soon to approve nomination of Sukender Reddy under the Governor’s quota and refer the matter to Governor for formal approval.

However, the TS Legislative Council will witness a rare occasion of appointment of pro-tem chairman for the first time in its history on June 3 as both chairman Sukender Reddy and deputy chairman Nethi Vidyasagar will retire on June 3. The pro-tem chairman will function till June 16.

According to Article 183 of the Constitution of India, the members holding office as chairman or deputy chairman have to vacate their office if they cease to be members of the council. This provision was incorporated because the Legislative

Council is a continuing institution without dissolution, unlike the Legislative Assembly with its five-year term.

To overcome this contingency in the Council, the Governor has to appoint a pro-tem chairman under Article 184 of the Constitution on June 3 until the election of regular chairman.

According to officials, such an instance was witnessed only once in India so far when the chairman and deputy chairman retired in Karnataka in 2018 following which the Governor had appointed a protem chairman.

The CM is reportedly considering the names of V.G. Goud, Naradasu Laxman Rao, D. Rajeshwar and Farooq Hussain for the protem chairman’s post.