By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 21 Oct: As Uttarakhand prepares to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its statehood on 9 November, the political temperature is set to rise in Dehradun with the convening of a two-day special session of the Assembly on 3 and 4 November. Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) has already given his assent to the Government’s proposal of holding a two-day special session of the state assembly to commemorate the silver jubilee of the state’s formation.
Though such special sessions should be expected to rise above narrow political considerations, but that is not going to happen. Even before the session begins, the Opposition is already sharpening its attack on the Dhami Government, vowing to corner it on a range of issues including corruption, the deteriorating law and order situation, and what it terms as the “extravagant waste” of public money on image-building advertisements. In addition, the Congress members are also expected to take on the government over alleged recent question paper leak in a recruitment examination conducted by Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC).
Speaking informally with media persons, Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya has launched a frontal attack on the Government. He alleged that corruption in the state is at its peak and that the common residents of the state are living under an atmosphere of fear. He also claimed that the law & order machinery has collapsed and accused the ruling dispensation of betraying the ideals for which the martyrs of the Uttarakhand statehood movement had fought. About the coming special session of the state assembly, Arya said that the government should respond to the questions raised by the Opposition in the House if it is really honest and sincere about the special session.
Arya also accused the Dhami government of spending over Rs 1,000 crores on advertisements to project a false image of development and efficiency.
At the same time, the political observers believe that the Opposition will try to utilise the upcoming session as a platform to rejuvenate its organisational morale ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. They also view the timing of the special session, just ahead of Statehood Day celebrations, as significant though symbolic opportunity to both the ruling BJP and the Opposition party Congress to shape the public narrative about the state’s progress over the past quarter century. While the Government is expected to highlight its achievements in infrastructure, investment, and welfare, the Opposition seems determined to shift focus toward ‘rising unemployment’, ‘inflation’, and the alleged irregularities in recruitment examination and contracts.
Former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat has welcomed the special session but has maintained that the special session should have been convened in Bhararisain (Gairsain).
The forthcoming session also assumes importance as it follows a turbulent monsoon session at Bhararisain in August, when Opposition members created a ruckus over law & order issues and staged an overnight dharna inside the Assembly Hall. Proceedings during that session could only continue for two days after Opposition legislators hurled leaflets and accused the Government of evading accountability.
According to political insiders, the Congress plans to aggressively question the Government on recent incidents that have raised concerns about governance and transparency. The party leaders are also likely to demand explanations for the unfulfilled promises made in the BJP’s 2022 election manifesto. The Opposition is also expected to highlight the alleged mismatch between the Government’s tall claims and the ground realities of rural distress, migration, and ‘employment generation’.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders maintain that the Opposition is merely indulging in political theatrics ahead of the Statehood Day celebrations. They insist that the Government is ready to discuss all issues in the House and that the Opposition’s allegations are baseless. They also remind that CM Dhami, in his recent posts on social media platform X, emphasised his Government’s commitment to transparency and good governance and has asserted that Uttarakhand will move forward with the vision of strong institutions, clean administration, and people’s participation.
