Telangana: Newly-elected MLAs take oath, BJP legislators boycott as Akbaruddin Owaisi appointed pro-tem speaker

HYDERABAD: The newly elected MLAs in Telangana took oath as the first session of the third Telangana assembly began on Saturday.
AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi presided over the proceedings as the pro-tem speaker.
Chief minister A Revanth Reddy was the first to take oath, followed by deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
However, the BJP decided to boycott the oath taking event, alleging violation of assembly rules in the appointment of Akbaruddin Owaisi as pro-tem Speaker.

BJP state president G Kishan Reddy alleged that Owaisi was appointed as pro-tem Speaker though there were other senior members in the House.
"BJP is against the appointment of Akbaruddin Owaisi as Pro-tem Speaker. This is against the tradition of appointing senior MLAs to the post. BJP MLAs will boycott taking oath before this pro-tem speaker. Our MLAs will take oath after a speaker is appointed. We will never ally with such a party (AIMIM). We will go to the Governor on this.
He added that because of the violation of the legislative assembly's rules, we are opposing the appointment of the AIMIM person as the pro-tem Speaker.
The BJP would like the election of Speaker to be held after the appointment of a senior member as pro-tem Speaker. The party would take up the issue with the Governor, he said.
The BJP MLAs would take oath after the regular Speaker assumes office, Reddy said.