The second day of the Andhra Assembly session began with a controversy over Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi’s seating in the house. Vamsi, who was earlier suspended by the Telugu Desam Party, requested the Speaker Tammineni Sitaram to consider him as a ‘special member’ of the house, and allot a special seat for him, away from the TDP. While Vamsi has professed his support to the ruling party, he has not officially joined the YSRCP, leading to confusion and curiosity over his seating in the Assembly. In the assembly, it is convention for members of ruling party to sit together and the opposition as another block.
When the Assembly session started on Monday, Vamsi sat in a row behind the TDP MLAs’ seats, giving rise to curiosity over his position with the TDP. The TDP had suspended Vamsi from the party back in November for his ‘anti-party activities’. Following his suspension, the Speaker made it clear that Vamsi would have to resign from the MLA post in order to join the YSRCP.
On Tuesday morning, as the House assembled for question hour, Vamsi requested the Speaker for an opportunity to speak. He claimed that the TDP had suspended him for meeting CM Jagan. Defending these meetings, Vamsi said that he went to the CM to address certain issues in his constituency. He went on to allege that TDP workers had trolled and abused him on social media for taking the ruling party’s side over issues like the introduction of English medium in government schools, and the new controversial sand policy. “There’s a ‘pappu batch’. They never go outside, they are only seen on Twitter. They post abusive comments and question my caste background, for supporting such good moves,” Vamsi said. Vamsi was reportedly referring to Naidu's son Nara Lokesh as pappu.
Claiming that he had only heard of his suspension from the party through the media, Vamsi said that he did not wish to reconcile with TDP. “But since the people of Gannavaram have elected me, I must do justice to them. Please protect my rights by recognising me as a special member,” Vamsi told the Speaker. The Speaker accepted the request and told Vamsi that he could choose to sit in any of the vacant seats.
The TDP has protested the Speaker’s decision, accusing him of being biased towards the ruling party. TDP MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary told reporters that if Vamsi is unable to reconcile with TDP, he must quit the party and as an MLA. “He must contest the election again from the YSRCP and then go and sit with them,” Chowdary said. He reiterated that the party had only suspended Vamsi and not expelled him. Earlier, Jagan had declared that his party would not accept any defecting legislators unless they resigned.
The TDP has also questioned the fact that Vamsi was allowed to speak during question hour, at a time when the opposition was about to give an adjournment motion on the issue of Minimum Support Price for farmers.
Speaker Tammineni Sitaram denied the allegations of bias, stating that he was merely exercising his prerogative by allowing Vamsi to speak.