U.P. assembly monsoon session: CM Yogi holds fort, guides BJP strategy

UP CM Yogi Adityanath led from the front in the monsoon session, countering opposition attacks and promoting unity between ruling and opposition parties.

Undeterred by Bharatiya Janata Party’s below par performance in the 2024 LS polls, chief minister Yogi Adityanath led from front and kept a track of the replies given by ministers to the questions raised by the opposition parties on the opening day of UP assembly’s monsoon session on Monday.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath on the opening day of the UP assembly monsoon session on July 29. (HT photo)

Also, he stayed in the house during the Question and Zero Hours and discussed the government strategy with parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna. When the opposition raised the issue of ‘deterioration’ in power supply during the Zero Hour, Yogi was seen discussing the reply with energy minister AK Sharma sitting behind him.

Anticipating that buoyed by its good performance in the general election, the opposition will launch an attack on the state government and also play up the fault line in the BJP by highlighting the differences among the party leaders, the CM ensured that the opposition attack was countered with the reply and bonhomie continued between the ruling and the opposition parties on the floor of the house.

At the start of the session, Yogi went to seat of Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey; leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Aradhana Mishra Mona; leader of Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) Raghuraj Pratap Singh as well as allies Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, NISHAD party chief Sanjay Nishad and Apna Dal (S) leader Ashish Patel to exchange pleasantries.

Earlier, Yogi made it clear that state government is open to all the questions and issues raised by the opposition in the assembly. He also appealed to the opposition to ensure smooth proceedings in the house and urged both ruling and opposition members to contribute to Uttar Pradesh’s development.

The CM urged the opposition and ruling party MLAs to make the house a platform for meaningful discussions and debates. “The government is fully prepared to respond to every issue raised by the members on the floor of the house,” he said.

“The state government is prepared for a constructive debate on issues raised by public representatives concerning the development and challenges facing the state,” Yogi added. “I am confident that everyone will contribute to the monsoon session by engaging in meaningful discussions on supplementary demands related to state’s development and public welfare,” the CM said.

The monsoon session also provided an opportunity to send a message of unity. Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, who earlier skipped the divisional meetings of the party MLAs held under the chairmanship of the CM, were present with the Yogi during the BJP legislature party meeting, press conference in Vidhan Bhavan before the session as well as during the welcome of newly appointed LoP Mata Prasad Pandey.