Cong issues whip, wants all MLAs to be in House

Rajmeet Singh

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 19

Taking a serious note of the thin strength of Congress legislators during the ongoing Budget session in the Assembly, the party leadership has issued a whip to all party MLAs to be present in the House on March 21 and 22.

Acting on reports of divisions in the state Congress, especially over the appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as the Leader of the Opposition and the nomination of former PPCC presidents Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo to the Rajya Sabha, the chief whip of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Navtej Cheema, has been told to ensure the presence of all MLA during the last two days of the session.

Ever since the Assembly session began, few Congress MLAs have been present, especially during Channi’s speech on the SYL issue and during the Budget discussion. Yesterday, when Channi was targeted by the treasury benches after his speech on the Budget discussion, just four Congress MLAs were present, including himself.

Legislators owing allegiance to the Capt Amarinder Singh camp have been showing disregard for the Leader of Opposition during the session. Sources said Amarinder, PPCC president, had convened a meeting of all MLAs in the CLP office in the Vidhan Sabha on March 21.