By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 23 Jul: The monsoon session of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held at the Vidhan Sabha building in Bhararisain (Gairsain) from 19 to 22 August and the preparations for the session are in full swing. The Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Department has already issued an order for convening the second session of the Fifth Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, following an approval by the Governor in this connection. The Monsoon Session will be held at the Bhararisain Assembly complex in Gairsain from 19 to 22 August. Preparations for this are now in full swing, with administrative coordination and security arrangements being finalised. However, it is still not clear who will be performing the role of Parliamentary Affairs Minister which is a very crucial role when the assembly is in session.
It may be recalled that the then Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal resigned after the last assembly session held in Dehradun
from 18 to 24 February. It may be recalled that during that session, the then Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal had made a controversial “hills versus plains” remark from within the House, which sparked a heated political debate across the state. The controversy had soon spilled out of the Assembly and on to the streets, with people protesting against Aggarwal’s remarks. The Congress party fully capitalised on the issue and launched a state-wide campaign to corner the government, accusing it of divisiveness and regional bias. The issue had escalated to such proportions that the Dhami government was compelled to take a tough decision, ultimately leading to Aggarwal’s resignation from the Cabinet under mounting public and political pressure. He was visibly emotional and broke down while tendering his resignation, which marked a significant development in the ongoing discourse about regional representation and political sensitivity in the state.
With the monsoon session of the Assembly now approaching, the government is yet to formally decide who will be the next Parliamentary Affairs Minister. The post has remained vacant since Aggarwal’s resignation, and the appointment of a new minister is seen as crucial for the smooth functioning of the legislative proceedings in Gairsain. It remains to be seen whether Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will appoint a new face or choose to entrust the responsibility to one of the existing ministers. The decision is likely to be of strategic importance, not only for managing legislative business but also for setting the political tone of the government during the session.
This uncertainty is further compounded by the fact that CM Dhami, in his second term after being sworn in again following the 2022 Assembly elections, has so far shown no inclination to expand his Cabinet or fill the vacant ministerial berths. Since taking over, one minister, Chandan Ram Das, passed away in April 2023, while Prem Chand Aggarwal resigned earlier this year in the wake of the Assembly uproar. Despite these vacancies, the Cabinet has not been expanded, raising questions about the Chief Minister’s approach and the political calculus. The political observers feel absence of appointments to key portfolios such as Parliamentary Affairs could pose challenges in coordinating legislative business, especially during a politically sensitive session in Gairsain. While some of them are hopeful of a Cabinet reshuffle before the session begins, majority of them believe Dhami may continue with the existing arrangement and distribute responsibilities among current ministers. The choice will signal the government’s legislative priorities and internal political dynamics. As the Assembly gears up to reconvene amidst these unresolved issues, all eyes remain on the Chief Minister’s decision, whether he will move to fill the crucial Parliamentary Affairs portfolio with a fresh appointment or once again rely on his limited team to navigate the political and legislative complexities that await in the upcoming session.
