After Merger Of 12 Congress MLAs With TRS, AIMIM Chief Owaisi Seeks LoP In Telangana Assembly

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Saturday said his party would urge the Telangana Assembly Speaker to accord the opposition party status to his party consequent to the merger of 12 Congress MLAs with the ruling TRS.

"We will urge the Telangana Speaker because MIM is the second largest party (after TRS). MIM should get the Leader of Opposition (LoP) post," Owaisi told reporters.

His party would meet the Speaker and submit a representation to him, he said, hoping that the Speaker would positively consider the request.

The BJP was given the post of Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly though the party had only three MLAs in the 70-member House, he said.

The Congress had won 19 MLAs in the Assembly polls held in December last year. It came down to 18 after state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy quit as MLA following his election to Lok Sabha recently.

Twelve (12) Congress MLAs had earlier announced their decision to quit the party and join the TRS.

In a dramatic turn of events, Telangana Assembly Speaker P Srinivas Reddy Thursday recognised 12 MLAs of Congress as members of TRS, hours after they moved him seeking merger of their group with the ruling party.

The Speaker acceded to the request of the MLAs considering the fact that they constituted two-thirds of the Congress Legislature Party, a requirement for merger under the anti-defection law.

As the Congress's strength has come down to six, one less than that of AIMIM, it may lose the status of the main opposition party in the 119-member House.

In the changed circumstances, AIMIM stands a chance to get the main opposition status. However, the party is an ally of the TRS. Owaisi had supported the TRS in the Assembly polls.

Following the merger of 12 Congress MLAs with TRS, the ruling party's strength rose to 100. The TDP has two MLAs but one of them had also said he would support the TRS. The BJP is represented by one member in the Assembly.

(PTI)