Kona Raghupathi to get Deputy Speaker's post

Guntur: While former Governor of Maharashtra Kona Prabhakar Rao worked as Assembly Speaker for combined state of Andhra Pradesh in 1980-81 in the Congress government, his son Kona Raghupati will get Deputy Speaker's post in the YSRCP government in the state.

Raghupati, a staunch supporter of YSRCP, was twice elected to Legislative Assembly on the YSRCP ticket from Bapatla Assembly constituency. Since the inception of party, he was loyal to Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Considering his loyalty towards party, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy rewarded him by offering the Deputy Speaker's post to him.

Actually, Kona Raghupati was to get berth in Cabinet or Speaker's post, due to caste equations, the party chief considered his name for Deputy Speaker's post. Kona Prabhakar had worked as Governor of Sikkim and Maharashtra states. In the Congress government, Dr Nadendla Mahohar worked as Speaker of combined state of AP. He was the last speaker of united AP and hailed from Guntur district.

After bifurcation of the state, Dr Kodela Siva Prasada Rao was the first Speaker and he too hailed from Guntur district. Both Dr Nadendla Manohar and Dr Kodela Siva Prasada Rao were defeated in the recent elections.