June 3: Political observers feel that elections for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly will be a test for the YSR Congress president, Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, rather than for the Telugu Desam. TD leaders feel that party president Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu introduced a no confidence motion against government only to test the strength of Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy and not to unseat government.

They feel that the no trust motion is intended to rebut Mr Jagan’s campaign that the TD colluded with the Congress and also intended to put government on notice. The TD has also decided to field party senior MLA K.E. Krishnamurthy as candidate for the Speaker’s post to test Mr Jagan’s strength. Mr Naidu called on Mr Jagan to support the TD in the election and unseat government.

Political observers feel that the Speaker’s election will reveal the strength of parties without the need of a no trust motion. They say that the TD decided to field a candidate for Speaker post to rebut Mr Jagan in the Seema Andhra region and TRS president Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao in the Telangana region. They feel that the Chief Minister will have to resign if the Congress is defeated in the election. Political analysts feel that the TD will go hammer and tongs at Mr Jagan if the party is defeated in the elections. If government falls, then the TD will target the YSR Congress as its main opponent. The TD has so far hesitated to move a no confidence motion against government due to the situation in the Telangana region.