Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu, Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, met the Presiding Officers of the U.K.’s House of Commons and House of Lords during his study tour following the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Barbados.
On Monday, the Speaker held separate discussions with Lord Gardiner of Kimble, Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, and Nusrat Ghani, Principal Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, at the Palace of Westminster.
During his interaction with Lord Gardiner, Mr. Patrudu discussed the functioning of the committee system, accountability mechanisms for lawmakers, and parliamentary checks and balances. Lord Gardiner praised the scale of India’s democracy and showed keen interest in Andhra Pradesh’s initiative to use artificial intelligence for registering Members’ attendance, noting its potential relevance for the U.K. Parliament, which has over 800 Members.
In a meeting with Ms. Nusrat Ghani, the Speaker explored legislative procedures, the role of lawmakers in representing the public, and strategies to address absenteeism. Ms. Ghani emphasised that voters hold lawmakers accountable, and those neglecting their duties risk electoral rejection.
