The longest session of Delhi Assembly will end tomorrow with beginning of Budget 2017 session

Delhi Assembly’s fifth session, Budget Session, will begin on Monday. The last session, the fourth held in six parts, was the longest in the history of Delhi Legislative Assembly. In the fresh session, finance minister Manish Sisodia will present the budget, after the address by L-G Anil Baijal

With the summoning of the fifth session — budget session — of the sixth assembly, the fourth session was registered as the longest in the history of Delhi legislative assembly.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia at a press conference. (Ravi Choudhary/HT Photo)

The fourth session, which was held in six parts, was prorogued by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on March 1. The first part of the fourth session was held from June 9 to 11 in 2016.

However, the total number of sittings in the fourth session was two lesser than the first session of the sixth assembly, which was held in 14 sittings of the House in five parts between February to August 2015.

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According to the rules, a session comes to an end if it is prorogued by the lieutenant governor, on recommendation of the Cabinet. Similarly, a new session is summoned by the lieutenant governor on advice of the Cabinet.

The decision of the government to continue with the fourth session in parts and not summoning a separate winter session was criticised by the opposition.

Sources in the government, however, said continuing a session in parts makes it easier for the government to convene the House meeting as it could be done at a short notice. It also doesn’t require to be routed through the L-G for summoning them.

Three of the six parts of the fourth session lasted only a day each, and were called to discuss different issues.

“In one of the six parts, the ruling party legislators discussed corruption charges against the then lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung in connection with restoring license of a ration shop owner. A legislative panel was also constituted to probe the allegations. All this was happening when the Delhi government and the L-G office were locked in a bitter fight over administrative jurisdiction,” an official remarked.

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Sessions have been held in parts in the previous tenures of the Delhi assembly as well. However, none of them were held in more than two parts till the first session of the current assembly, which concluded in five parts.

The second session of the first assembly, however, has the distinction of holding the maximum sittings in one session. Held from March 7 to April 1994, the session concluded in 21 sittings.