The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Monday took up the marathon debate on the no-confidence motion tabled by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party against the Congress government in the state.

This is the first time that the present government is facing a no-trust motion even as it completes four years in power. TDP had given the notice on March 27 and it was allowed by Speaker K R Suresh Reddy on March 28. The budget session, which was to end on March 28, was extended by three working days to facilitate the debate and voting on no-trust motion.

The business advisory committee decided to allow the debate for a total of 19 hours spread over three days. TDP is allotted five hours and other opposition parties three hours. The Congress would get six hours with another five hours earmarked for the reply by chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy.

No other opposition party has come forward to support the TDP-sponsored motion. The one-line motion, under rule 75 of Assembly rules, reads 'This House expresses no confidence in the Council of Ministers'. The Communist Party of India made it clear that it neither supported nor signed the no-trust motion. The Communist Party of India-Marxist also did not sign the no-trust notice, but expressed willingness to participate in the debate to target the Congress government. Similarly, the Bharatiya Janata Party is not a signatory, but it would attack the government during the discussion on the motion.

It is the third time that TDP has moved no-confidence motions against successive Congress governments. TDP had moved the no-trust motion against governments headed by Dr Marri Channa Reddy in 1990 and Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy in 1993 when TDP founder N T Rama Rao was Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. However, it is the first time under former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's [Images] leadership that the party has moved the no-trust motion.

Initiating the debate, Leader of the Opposition Chandrababu Naidu launched a scathing attack on the Congress government in general and the chief minister in particular for their umpteen acts of omission and commission. He alleged that apart from the chief minister, other ministers too had been abusing their powers and indulging in corruption, nepotism and favouritism. He cited numerous instances in support of his allegations.

Naidu claimed, "The Chief Minister was supposed to be raking in Rs one crore illegally every hour. But, it now looks as if he is making Rs 100 crore every hour. The Chief Minister and his council of ministers have broken all records in corruption, nepotism and favouritism. Hence, the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers have no right to remain in power for a single minute. That is why we have moved the no-trust motion to highlight the lack of trust of the people in this government. I demand that the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers resign immediately".

The TDP, as the main opposition party, had waited for four years before moving the no-trust motion. The Congress, he said, came to power in 2004 but within four years, the government forfeited the trust and confidence of the people. TDP had given the ruling party sufficient time to govern and now it was time to hold it accountable, he added.

Accusing the Congress regime of being steeped in corruption and all-round irregularities, Naidu recalled that his party had been carrying on a relentless campaign to highlight the failures of the government on all fronts both in the Assembly and outside fora. The Congress had failed to fulfil the promises made in its 2004 election manifesto, he said, adding that the government was taking anti-people measures and failed to check the soaring prices of essential commodities. The law and order had collapsed in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the State, he said.

Charging the ruling party with deceiving the people of the state, the former chief minister alleged that the Rajasekhar Reddy regime was working to subserve the interests of the Chief Minister's cronies, family members, other relatives and supporters. They were virtually looting the state and the State favoured them with lands at cheaper rates, licenses and other concessions, Naidu claimed. He listed out the land scams, irregularities in award of irrigation project tenders, mining leases and earmarking of special economic zones for industrial ventures.

The debate turned acrimonious with legislative affairs minister K Rosaiah, his ministerial colleagues, government chief whip N Kiran Kumar Reddy and other ruling party members laying into Naidu for making 'sweeping allegations'. Other TDP members also came to the rescue of their leader, defending him for making allegations which, they claimed, were 'irrefutable'. The Speaker intervened to restore order in the House several times to put an end to the verbal battle between the ruling party and TDP members.