BJP MLA Raja Singh refuses to take oath if Akbaruddin Owaisi is Protem Speaker

Hyderabad, December 8, 2023 - BJP MLA Raja Singh from Goshamahal has refused to take oath as an MLA if Akbaruddin Owaisi, the MLA of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), is the Protem Speaker.

Akbaruddin Owaisi was appointed as the Protem Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly on December 7.

Speaking to the media, Raja Singh said that he would not accept Akbaruddin Owaisi as the Protem Speaker and that he would only take oath after a full-time Speaker is appointed.

In 2018, Raja Singh made a similar announcement when Majlis MLA Mumtaz Khan was the Protem Speaker. He took oath as an MLA only after Pocharam Srinivas Reddy was appointed as the full-time Speaker.

Raja Singh's refusal to take oath is likely to create a political storm in Telangana. The MIM is a major opposition party in the state and Akbaruddin Owaisi is a controversial figure.