Is the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government likely to give a miss to the Governor’s Address to both the Houses of Legislature at the commencement of the budget session?
It appears so going by the notification issued by the State Legislature convening the budget session of the legislature. In the notification issued on Monday, Legislature Secretary V. Narasimha Charyulu said: “I am to inform you that the ‘second meeting’ of the eighth session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly will commence at 11.30 a.m. on Monday the 7th March in the Assembly Hall.”
The notification indicated that the previous session had not been prorogued and that the session which had been adjourned was being re-convened. According to Article 176 of the Constitution: “At the commencement of the first session after each general election to the Legislative Assembly and at the commencement of the first session of each year, the Governor shall address the Legislative Assembly or in the case of a State having a Legislative Council, both the Houses assembled together and inform the Legislature of the causes of its summons”.
The development assumes significance in the light of widening of the gap between Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister as well as his ministers did not attend the flag hoisting by the Governor on the Republic Day. The Governor on her part elaborated on the initiatives taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government with a brief mention about the developments in the State.
Legal experts are of the view that the notification indicated reconvening of the session that had been previously adjourned, not prorogued, and this would not necessitate summoning of the Legislature afresh. Likewise, Article 175 of the Constitution says that the Governor “may address” the Legislative Assembly or in the case of a State having Legislative Council, either House of the Legislature of the State or both Houses assembled together and “may for that purpose require the attendance of members”.
“It reads may and not shall,” a legal expert said. There was also no clarity regarding the definition of the first session of each year. “What is to be construed as first session when the previous session is not prorogued?” he asked.
