All eyes on power play in rival camps before U.P. Monsoon session

Preparations are afoot for the Monsoon session of the state legislature commencing here on July 29, the first one after the 2024 Lok Sabha poll results, and all eyes are set on the political activities in the BJP and Opposition camps. The session is likely to be a five-day one.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who has been meeting BJP legislators to get feedback about 2024 poll outcome and started holding divisional meetings with the senior officers and public representatives, will attend an all-party meeting on Sunday for better coordination with the opposition.

Speaker Satish Mahana has convened the all-party meeting to ensure smooth functioning of the assembly. A meeting of the business advisory committee of the House has been also convened on Sunday to finalise the programme for the session. The tentative programme released for the House on Wednesday indicates that there are likely to be five sittings from July 29 to August 2 and the state government proposes to carry out legislative business during the Monsoon session.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a press statement on Wednesday, said the BJP’s double engine government (Modi-led government at the Centre and the Yogi-led government in U.P.) appear on a course of confrontation and the state government did not ask for anything while the Centre did not make a mention about UP in the union budget.

Yadav, who has resigned as MLA following his election as MP, in a recent post on social media said, “Monsoon Offer, bring a hundred, form the government!” drawing attention in the state’s political circles. The SP, which is yet to appoint a leader of opposition in the House, has already given indications that the party will leave no opportunity to target the BJP government in the assembly.

For its part, the state government has asked divisional commissioners and district magistrates to ensure that complete information is given by them well in time about the questions or other issues raised by MLAs/MLCs in the state legislature. Principal secretary, parliamentary affairs department, JP Singh, in a letter sent to all the divisional commissioner and district magistrates, said there should be no doubt about the facts provided and the quality of information given by them. He said all the information being sent should be signed by the respective district magistrates.

In another letter, JP Singh also said no meeting of divisional and district committees, having the MLAs/MLCs as members, should be convened by them during the Monsoon session.