TDP's Ayyannapatrudu unanimously elected Speaker of Andhra Assembly; Maiden cabinet on June 24

Amaravati: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Senior leader and Narsipatnam MLA Chinthakayala Ayyannapatrudu was elected unanimously as the Speaker of the 16th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Saturday.

Addressing the Assembly, Pro-tem Speaker and TDP's Rajahmundry Rural MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary said that Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh and BJP's Staya Kumar Yadav made three proposals on behalf of Ayyannapatrudu for the Speaker's post.

"As Ayyannapatrudu was the only person who filed the nomination, I declare that he has been elected as the Speaker unanimously. I extend my wholehearted congratulations to Ayyannapatrudu and request him to ascend the Speaker's chair," said the Pro-tem Speaker.

Ayyannapatrudu's election was a mere formality as no other MLA filed a nomination to challenge him. On Friday, only three nominations were received for the Speaker's post, and they all were on behalf of Ayyannapatrudu, said PPK Ramacharyulu, secretary general, Legislative Assembly.

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and others escorted Ayyannapatrudu to the Speaker's chair. After taking over as the Speaker, Ayyannapatrudu requested Naidu to speak. Addressing the 16th Legislative Assembly for the first time, Naidu congratulated and heaped praise on the Speaker, noting that he is one of the senior-most legislators in the Telugu states.

"It is very happy to see a recognised BC leader like you (Ayyannapatrudu) in the position of the Speaker. My wholehearted congratulations to you for being unanimously elected as the Speaker," he said. Observing that there are many first-time legislators in the House, Naidu further elaborated on the background of 67-year-old Ayyannapatrudu.

Three MLAs who did not take oath of office on Friday finished the formalities today. With the completion of their swearing-in, all the 175 MLAs of the southern state took the oath of office.

YS Jagan skipped Assembly sessions on second day

Meanwhile, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is not likely to attend the Assembly as he is scheduled to visit Kadapa district today. According to a statement from the opposition party, the former chief minister will spend the next three days at Pulivendula in Kadapa district.

First Cabinet meeting of new Andhra Pradesh govt on June 24

The first Cabinet meeting of the new NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is scheduled on June 24.

The NDA government comprises TDP, BJP and Janasena.

The Cabinet meeting is scheduled to commence at 10 am on Monday in the first block of the Secretariat, said an official release on Saturday, quoting Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad.

The Chief Secretary on Friday directed all the departments to submit their agenda for the Cabinet meeting.

The 25-member strong Cabinet is a mix of 17 freshers and eight experienced ministers.