The inaugural session of the 16th Assembly commenced with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, along with Deputy CMs Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa, among others, taking their oaths as members.
Amidst this ceremonial start, Congress MLAs, including former CM Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, made a statement by arriving at the House adorned with black bands, symbolizing their protest against the recent security breach in Parliament.
The proceedings of the House sparked immediate objection from Congress MLA Shanti Dhariwal, who raised concerns regarding the abrupt calling of the Assembly session.
Protem Speaker Kalicharan Saraf commenced the swearing-in process for the new MLAs, beginning with CM Bhajanlal Sharma, followed by Deputy CM Diya Kumari and Dr. Premchand Bairwa. The swearing-in continued for the remaining MLAs, which was ongoing at the time of this report.
This special two-day session has been convened primarily for the administration of oaths to the 199 newly elected MLAs. It's anticipated that the swearing-in process will conclude on the first day, with the election of the Speaker scheduled for Thursday. Notably, during the 15th Assembly under the Congress government, the first session was convened on January 15, 2019, with 197 MLAs taking their oaths on the initial day.
Traditionally, the inauguration of a new Assembly session occurred after the complete formation of the cabinet, usually in late December or January. However, this time, the session was called with only the Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers in office. This departure from tradition, without the entire cabinet in place, has sparked discussions and raised questions about the unconventional timing of the special Assembly session. Normally, after the induction of state ministers, the first Assembly session is convened following the formation of a new government.
(With Agency Inputs)
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