The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has increasingly turned to special sessions of the state's Vidhan Sabha as a primary tool to confront the BJP-led central government, a strategy now facing fierce criticism from opposition legislators. Since assuming power in 2022, the Bhagwant Mann-led administration has convened five such sessions, each culminating in confidence motions or resolutions directly critical of the Centre, while bypassing regular legislative business.
Opposition Accuses Government of Ignoring Constituency Issues
The latest special session, held on December 30, saw the Assembly unanimously pass a resolution against the Centre's Viksit Bharat–G Ram G Act. The resolution alleged the scheme was dismantling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and "snatching away the rights of the poor, Dalits and labourers." Chief Minister Mann labeled the central legislation as "anti-Dalit and anti-poor."
However, the opposition has trained its guns on the government's pattern. Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa (Congress), BJP state president Sunil Jakhar, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal have jointly questioned the repeated reliance on single-day special sessions. They argue these sessions are largely symbolic and prevent MLAs from raising pressing issues concerning their own constituencies during regular sittings.
A Pattern of Confrontation with New Delhi
The series of special sessions reveals a consistent theme of sharpening confrontation between the Punjab government and the Centre. The first such session in June 2022 featured a confidence motion after AAP alleged the BJP's "Operation Lotus" tried to topple its government by offering Rs 25 crore each to 10 MLAs.
Subsequent sessions have focused on inter-state disputes and central policies. One session addressed the Bhakra Beas Management Board's (BBMB) decision to release Punjab's share of water to Haryana, with CM Mann accusing the Centre of favouring the BJP-ruled neighbouring state at Punjab farmers' expense. Another, in September 2025 A unique session was held at Sri Anandpur Sahib on November 24 to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, moving away from the traditional Vidhan Sabha complex. The strategy has exacerbated Centre-state tensions, previously spilling into a major confrontation between CM Mann and former Governor Banwarilal Purohit, a dispute that reached the Supreme Court. Opposition leaders now accuse the government of wasting public money on politically charged special sessions while neglecting regular governance debates. Pratap Singh Bajwa specifically criticized the government for "wasting money" on these sessions. Mann retorted by accusing Bajwa of opposing the rights of the poor and Dalits. While the Congress and SAD supported the latest resolution against the VB-G Ram G Act, the BJP dismissed it as a mere attempt to shield corruption in welfare schemes. As the AAP government plans a sixth special session, the political theatre in Punjab's legislature continues to spotlight national-state conflicts, often at the expense, the opposition claims, of local accountability and detailed legislative scrutiny.Political Standoff and Fiscal Concerns
