Andhra Pradesh Assembly Budget session to begin on February 11, 2026

• The Budget Session of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly will commence on February 11.
• Governor S. Abdul Nazeer has summoned the fifth session of the sixteenth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, which will begin at 10 a.m.
• The session will open with the Governor’s address to a joint sitting of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council at 10 a.m. on February 11.
• On February 12, members will move a motion of thanks to the Governor’s address.
• Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will reply to the motion on February 13, outlining the government’s priorities and roadmap.
• The Budget for the financial year 2026–27 will be presented in the Assembly on February 14 by Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav.
• This will be followed by the presentation of the Agriculture Budget by Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu.
• Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu is also expected to present the budget for his department.

Andhra Pradesh Legislature Composition and Duration

• Article 208 (I) of the Indian Constitution empowers each House of Legislature of a State to make Rules.
• The Legislative Assembly consists of 175 elected members.
• The duration of the Assembly is five years from the date appointed for its first meeting, unless sooner dissolved. The expiration of the said period of five years operates as dissolution of the House.
• The Legislative Assembly has cardinal functions of Legislation, overseeing of administration, passing of budget, and ventilation of public grievances.

Andhra Pradesh Legislature Council Composition and Duration:

• The Legislative Council of a state is constituted as per Article 168 of Indian Constitution.
• As per Article 171 of the Indian Constitution the total number of Members in the Legislative council of a State shall not exceed one third of the total number of Members in the Legislative Assembly.
• Of the total number of Members of the Legislative Council, 1/3 of Members are elected by electorates consisting of the Members of Local Authorities, 1/12 are elected by electorates consisting of graduates residing in the State, 1/12 are elected by electorates consisting of persons engaged in teaching, 1/3 are elected by the Members of Legislative Assembly and the remaining are nominated by the Governor.
• The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council was formed for the first time on 1st July, 1958 and it was abolished on 31st May, 1985.
• It was reconstituted on 30th March, 2007.
• The total number of Members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council is 90 up to bifurcation of the state.
• The present Strength of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative council is 58. The Legislative Council is a permanent legislative body. 1/3 of its Members shall retire for every 2 years.
• The role and responsibilities of Members of Legislative Council are almost all similar to that of Members of Legislative Assembly except in financial matters (like bills).

Chief Whip

• The Chief whip is responsible for administering the whipping system that ensures the members to attend the meetings of the House of Legislature for their support on any important matter during division on the Floor of the House, as the party leadership desires.
• The Government Chief Whip has some very important duties concerning the mapping, monitoring and management of government business in the House.
• Another important function of the Government Chief Whip is to constantly feel the pulse of the House and apprise the leader of the government about the happenings in the House. They keep in close touch with the Whips of the other parties also on matters concerning the business in the House.
• The role of whips of various political parties and the Government Chief Whip is vital in the management of the Assembly Proceedings.
• The term Whip was defined by Shri Shivraj V. Patil former Speaker, Lok Sabha, as “the authority in the House who was expected to know the bend of minds of Members”.

COMMITTEES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY:

• The legislature transacts a great deal of its business through committees. They deal with specific items of business requiring expert or detailed consideration.
• The committees examine each and every matter in depth. In fact, the legislature committees do a lot of scrutiny on behalf of the legislative bodies, as these bodies do not find sufficient time at their disposal. In view of their enormous work they are often termed as mini legislatures.
• Legislature, being a law making body of the State also holds the responsibility of proper governance by overseeing the functionaries of the Executive and ensures the accountability of Executive to the Legislature through its Committees. Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly has an organised system of Committees.
• The matters in respect of appointment, term of office, functions and main lines of procedure for conducting business of the committees are regulated by the provisions of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of business in A.P. Legislative Assembly and directions, if any, by the Speaker.
• Legislative Committees are two types. They are Standing Committees and Ad-hoc Committees.
• Standing Committees are constituted annually or at other intervals as per rules whereas the adhoc Committees are appointed from time to time either by the Assembly on a motion adopted in that behalf or by the Speaker to inquire into and report on a specific matter.

Andhra Pradesh Legislature Overview:

• Andhra Pradesh, the first linguistic state and the eighth largest state in the Indian union, was formed on 1st November, 1956 with the unification of Andhra State and the Telugu speaking areas of the erstwhile Hyderabad State. Consequent to the formation of State of Andhra Pradesh the 140 Members of Andhra State Legislative Assembly and 105 Members representing the Telugu speaking areas of Hyderabad State were merged together resulting in the formation of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
• In 1956, the Andhra Pradesh Legislature was Unicameral with only a Legislative Assembly consisting 301 Members.
• The first meeting of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was held on 3rd December, 1956. Sri Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao and Sri Konda Lakshman Bapuji were elected as the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker respectively of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
• In 1958, with the constitution of Legislative Council the unicameral Andhra Pradesh Legislature has become bicameral. Due to delimitation of constituencies several ups and downs have taken place in the number of elected Members of Legislative Assembly in Andhra Pradesh.  In 1956 it was 245, in 1962 it was 300, in 1967 and 1972 it was 287 and from 1978 onwards it is 294.
• In 2014, the state was bifurcated  into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.  Present Strength of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was 175.
• In the five and half decades of history of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Sri B.V. Subba Reddy was the only Presiding Officer who has been elected twice as Speaker in 1962 and 1967 unanimously in the Third and Fourth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
• The most significant feature of the Fourth Legislative Assembly is that it has the highest number of Independents in the House. Out of the 294 elected Members of the Legislative Assembly 68 Members were Independents. Sri P. Ranga Reddy, who has been elected as Speaker in 1972 by the Fifth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly also served as the Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council from 1968 to 1972.  He was the only person who has served as the Presiding Officer for both the Houses of Andhra Pradesh Legislature.  He was also appointed as Pro-tem Speaker for the Eighth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1985.
• Another distinctive feature of the Fifth Legislative Assembly is that its term was extended by one year due to declaration of internal emergency in the country and it was continued up to 1978.
• The Sixth Legislative Assembly was constituted on 5th March, 1978.
• The Seventh Legislative Assembly was constituted on 8th January, 1983 and was dissolved on 23rd November, 1984. In the history of Andhra Pradesh Legislature the Seventh Legislative Assembly was shortest Assembly in terms of its tenure. Another important feature of the Seventh Assembly was for the first a Confidence Motion was moved and carried in the House on 20th September, 1984.
• The Eighth Legislative Assembly was constituted on 8th March, 1985 and dissolved on 28th November, 1989 and during the period of Eighth Legislative Assembly the State Legislature has again become unicameral as the Legislative Council was dissolved on 31st May, 1985.
• For the first time the Committee on Welfare of Women and Children and Disabled Welfare was constituted by the Ninth Legislative Assembly in the year 1993.
• The Tenth Legislative Assembly which was constituted on 12th December, 1994 has taken several far reaching measures like constitution of Committee on Ethics and Committee on Welfare of Minorities. Live telecasting of Proceedings of the House has also been started during the Tenth Legislative Assembly.
• The Eleventh Legislative Assembly which was constituted on 10th October, 1999 has elected Smt. K. Prathibha Bharathi as Speaker, the first women Presiding Officer of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature. The most remarkable feature of the Eleventh Legislative Assembly was that the Members were sent on a study tour to the developing countries of South Asian region.
• Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, the President of India has addressed the Twelfth Legislative Assembly on 14th July, 2004. It was the second time in the history of Andhra Pradesh Legislature that the First Citizen of India has addressed the Legislative Assembly. Previously, Dr. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy addressed the Members of the Legislature on 28th June, 1978. The Twelfth Legislative Assembly has taken several new initiatives by constituting the Committee on Wild Life and Environment Protection, Web casting and Digitization of Proceedings of the House.
• The Thirteenth Legislative Assembly which was constituted on 19th May, 2009 has so many notable features to its credit. Out of the 294 elected Members of the Legislative Assembly 147 Members were elected first time to the House. 36 women Members, highest number so far, were elected to the House.  After Bifurgation of the state , The 14th Legislative Assembly was constituted on 20th May 2014 with 175 elected members. Out of 175 Members 98 members were elected 1st time to the House, 20 Members were Women.
• The 15th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was duly constituted on 25.05.2019 with 175 Elected Members. Out of 175, 70 were elected 1st time to the House. Among 175 Members 14 were Women Members.
• The 16th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was duly constituted on 06.06.2024 with 175 Elected Members. Out of 175, 84 were elected 1st time to the House. Among 175 Members 22 were Women Members.