Andhra Pradesh Governor Justice S Abdul Nazeer had appointed senior MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary as the pro-tem speaker for the state Assembly. The Governor administered the oath to the pro-tem speaker at Raj Bhavan on Thursday.

Butchaiah Chowdary had been the legislator from Rajamahendravaram since 1983. He won four consecutive elections since 1983. Later, he won in 1999 and 2004 from Rajamahendravaram, in 2009 from Rajamahendravaram city and 2014, 2019 and 2024 from Rajamahendravaram rural constituency. He is one of the senior most MLAs in the current Assembly as he had won 10 times to the state Assembly.

Ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Anagani Satyaprasad, Payyavula Keshav, S Savitha, Nimmala Ramanaidu, Gottipati Ravi Kumar, MLAs Eluru Sambasiva Rao, M S Raju, Sunkara Vijaya Kumar, and several others joined Butchaiah Chowdary when he took the oath. He would administer the oath to the rest of the MLAs when the House meets on June 21.

Meanwhile, the state governor had also issued notification commencing the Assembly session from June 21. The pro-tem speaker would administer the oath to the members on the first day. The house would elect speaker and deputy speaker on the next day.

Sources say that chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had decided to field senior legislator Chintakayala Ayyannapathrudu as Assembly speaker. Ayyannapathrudu had been a severe critic of Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSR Congress. It is to be seen how Ayyannapathrudu would treat Jagan Mohan Reddy in the house for the next five years.

Meanwhile, a decision is yet to be taken on the deputy speaker post. Sources indicate that the chief minister is likely to give the deputy speaker post to the BJP or Jana Sena. The chief minister had already given three cabinet berths to Jana Sena, while only one berth was given to the BJP. To compensate for this, the chief minister had decided to give the deputy speaker post to the BJP, sources said.