Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy today said that if an opinion of the State Assembly is sought, it has to come through members expressing their views and through voting.
Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said the views of the assembly are vital for the Centre to take any decision. Therefore, they have forwarded the AP Reorganisation Bill to the House seeking its views.
Calling upon Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress Party to take part in the discussion on the Bill during the current session, he said that this has presented them with an opportunity to express their views on keeping the State unified.
“As someone who has served as Chief Whip, Assembly Speaker and now as the Chief Minister, I am clear on how to go about working towards retaining Andhra Pradesh as a unified State. I will not make any announcements about our strategy while tackling the discussion on the Bill, you will see it at the opportune moment,” he said.
“We are now at a critical juncture in taking up the Bill and addressing various concerns and also expressing our views on retaining it as a unified state. We need to utilise this opportunity. The Bill has been sent to the Assembly as its views matter in its final outcome,” he said.
On asked if there will be voting, the Chief Minister shot asked if there could be a Bill without voting.
Any Bill will be taken up as per constitutional provisions, established procedures and conventions. And all these point towards voting, he explained.