The winter session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly is set to begin on Friday, with political focus firmly on the ruling INDIA bloc's cohesion. The session starts amidst speculation triggered by Chief Minister Hemant Soren's recent visit to Delhi, which opposition circles attempted to frame as a sign of discord within the alliance.
Ruling Alliance Rejects Rift, Accuses BJP
Partners in the governing coalition, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress, have firmly dismissed any talk of internal strife. They have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of deliberately spreading false narratives to undermine the alliance's stability. In a show of strength and coordination ahead of the session, Chief Minister Hemant Soren convened a meeting of all INDIA bloc legislators at the Administrative Training Institute (ATI) on Thursday night.
The objective of this gathering was to strategize and formulate a unified plan to counter the opposition's moves within the assembly. Prior to this, the Congress party held its own detailed meeting with all its 16 MLAs at the party office in Ranchi.
Congress Asserts Solidarity with JMM Leadership
Addressing the media after the Congress meeting, state party president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh left no room for doubt about the alliance's unity. "All 16 MLAs had attended the meeting, and we have resolved to work unitedly," he stated. He emphasized that their focus would be on raising issues of public interest and safeguarding the alliance government. Kamlesh added that their strategy would be to engage the opposition constructively on substantive issues to ensure the House functions smoothly.
On the other side of the aisle, the BJP has scheduled its legislative party meeting for Sunday, gearing up for the session's proceedings.
Speaker Confirms Session Schedule and Agenda
In a customary pre-session tradition, Assembly Speaker Rabindranath Mahto called an all-party meeting at his chamber. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi, and representatives from other political parties. The Chief Minister did not speak to the media after this conclave.
Speaker Rabindranath Mahto provided key details about the upcoming session. He announced that the winter session will have five working days and is scheduled to conclude on December 11. A significant piece of legislative business will be the tabling of the second supplementary budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year on Monday, followed by a discussion on it.
"At the all-party meet, it was decided that there will be no change in the fixed schedule of the session," the Speaker confirmed. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radha Krishna Kishore expressed hope for cooperation from both ruling and opposition members to ensure the House proceedings are conducted without disruption.
