Odisha Assembly Adjourned Till 4 PM As Congress Creates Ruckus Over Campus Polls

Bhubaneswar: The state Assembly, which reconvened after a 19-day break for second phase of the Odisha budget, was adjourned till 4 pm on Tuesday amid pandemonium over students’ union election in the state. 

Speaker Surama Padhy initially adjourned the House till 11.41 am as Congress MLAs led by Taraprasad Bahinipati trooped into the well demanding campus elections in the state soon after obituary reference to a former MLA Sunder Mohan Majhi, who passed away on August 13.

Bahinipati accused the BJP government of reneging on its promise to hold the election, which the previous BJD government had been avoiding since 2018.

The BJD MLAs, on the other hand, were seen standing and raising slogans over inaction in the alleged attack of a government official by the Governor’s son during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Puri in July. The party members also demanded expunge of the statement of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling, who demanded the arrest of Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik over ruckus during the Governor’s address in the first phase of the session.

BJD whip Pramila Mallik also sought clarity on the privilege notice moved against Chief Minister Mohan Majhi for announcing reservations for Agniveers from Odisha in the state uniformed services while the Assembly was in session.

The Speaker, however, was unable to conduct the proceedings after the members reassembled as the Congress MLAs continued to create ruckus over the same issue, and adjourned the House till 4 pm.

On Monday, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said that college union elections in the state will be held next year onwards. He reasoned that the government, which was sworn in in June, did not have adequate time to prepare for the elections, which is usually held in September, this year.

This session of the Assembly, which will continue till September 13, will focus primarily on budgetary demands of different departments. and discussion over the Rs 2.65 lakh crore budget for the 2024-25 fiscal presented by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, who holds the finance portfolio, on July 25, 2024.