The Andhra Pradesh Assembly will implement a new AI-based digital attendance system that tracks lawmakers in real time. Speaker Chintakayala Ayyaannapattu explained that members must sit in their assigned seats for their attendance to be recorded. The system will take effect from the upcoming budget sessions.
Signing the register or showing up briefly will no longer count as official attendance. The move has raised questions about how the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) will respond. The party has a history of walking in and out of sessions while demanding opposition status. In yesterday’s assembly, YSRCP members briefly disrupted the Governor’s speech and staged a walkout with Chief Minister Jagan. They have stated they will attend sessions only if opposition status is granted.
The coalition government has accused YSRCP legislators of marking attendance without being present. Officials are pushing a “No Work, No Pay” policy, warning that skipping 90 consecutive days could lead to disqualification. Earlier, YSRCP avoided penalties through one-day attendance, but the new facial recognition system will record attendance only when legislators sit in their seats.
The system also ensures that attending the Governor’s speech alone does not count as full attendance. This move will verify who actually attends assembly sessions and challenge YSRCP’s minimal presence strategy. Now, it remains to be seen whether YSRCP lawmakers will fully attend sessions or continue limiting their presence.
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