The leader of Opposition Ajay Bhatt gave a slip to the all-party meeting convened by the Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal in the Assembly premises on Tuesday to ensure smooth conduct of the two- day Assembly Session beginning on Thursday, fuelling speculations over the saffron camp’s strategy vis-a vis the special session.
The meeting was, however, attended by the CM Harish Rawat, UKD and BSP. Observers say that Bhatt staying away from meeting has thrown enough hints of the special session proving to be a stormy one. “This is especially so because of the fact that the Speaker’s order of disqualifying the nine dissident MlAs is now hanging fire as the Supreme Court is slated to hear the crucial case on Wednesday. It is amply clear that the BJP would not allow the session to pass off sans pandemonium if they choose to attend,” one of the observers say.
However, defending his Government’s decision to convene the two-day special session of the Assembly, CM said that the people of the State are eagerly looking forward to it as it would facilitate the passing of the budget. “I am sure that the budget would be passed sans a hitch as this is what is expected in the interests of the State,” he said.
BJP has made it clear that it would not taking things lying down as the Speaker against whom they had tabled no-confidence motion on March 18 would preside over it. “The BJP is yet to firm up its strategy regarding the upcoming session. The party’s legislative wing would sit on Wednesday to deliberate things. But it is clear they would not allow the treasury bench and the Speaker to breathe easy,” said a BJP insider.
Meanwhile, the deputy leader of the Opposition Madan Kaushik, who was present In the Assembly on Tuesday when the meeting was on, refused to attend the meeting, saying that he had not received any instruction from the party whether to attend or not.
The CM, however, sought to downplay the absence of Bhatt from the all-party meeting, saying that he might have been occupied with other engagements. “There is nothing to read more into it,” he said.
Talking to the media persons, Rawat said that interests of the State should reign supreme both for the treasury and opposition benches . “I am sure that the Opposition would not allow sectarian interests to prevail over the larger interests of the State,” he said. Quizzed over the Opposition having tabled no -confidence motion against the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, CM said that both are constitutional posts. “We ought to respect the chairs as they deserve as per the constitutional norms ,” he commented.
“We should shed negative approach while executing our duties in the House. Who knows whether the Vidhan Sabha session would not begin with thanks-giving to the Union finance minister Arun Jaitley for the latter’s candid admission of Uttarakhand incurring a whopping loss of `1800 crore with the implementation of 14th Finance Commission’s recommendation. As far as political maneuvering is concerned it is alright outside the House. But right in the House, we must prove that the larger interests of the state gains precedence over the sectarian party interests,” Harish Rawat said.
Commenting on the dissidents now inducted in the BJP crying foul of his Government, CM said that parroting a wrong repeatedly does not make the wrong right. “They perhaps think that their baring fangs against me and my Government would strengthen their position in the party they are now in. But this is mere flippancy sans any substance,” he said.