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UP legislature special session: Opposition divided, may not boycott this time
Will the Opposition attend the special session of state legislature on the Constitution Day on November 26?
Will the Opposition attend the special session of state legislature on the Constitution Day on November 26?
After what happened with the boycott of “October 2, 2019 special session of state legislature”, this seems unlikely this time. Although leaders of major parties say they are exploring various options, there are indications that the parties may shy away from another boycott. “We are yet to take a call on the issue. We will discuss it and decide,” said Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary.
Major opposition parties though had stayed away from the October 2 special session, some of their members had defied the whip and attended the special session. The special session was convened to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2019 and hold 36-hour long uninterrupted debate on the sustainable development goals.
Besides SP rebels Nitin Agarwal, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, BSP rebels Anil Singh and Mohammad Aslam Raini and Congress rebels from Rae Bareli Aditi Singh and Rakesh Singh had attended the special session.
Most of the leaders of opposition parties will attend the all-party meeting that speaker Hridaya Narayan Dikshit has convened here on Friday to seek cooperation for smooth conduct of day-long proceedings of the house.
“We plan to attend the meeting. I am in Ballia. If am not able to reach for Friday’s meeting, some other Samajwadi Party leader will be there,” said Chaudhary.
BSP legislature party leader Lalji Verma said his party was yet to discuss the issue of attending the special session though he would attend the all-party meeting on Friday. Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhna Mishra said she would attend the all-party meeting though a decision about attending the session was yet to be taken. Sources in the party, however, said Congress may not boycott the special session this time.
Meanwhile, governor Anandiben Patel has convened the special session of state legislature on November 26, 2019. Principal secretary Vidhan Sabha Pradeep Dubey has issued a notification saying the fourth session of state assembly for 2019 has been convened at Vidhan Sabha Hall at 11 am on November 26.
