THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the 9th session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly (KLA) begins today, one leader will be conspicuous by his absence. Former chief minister Oommen Chandy (OC). The 79-year-old legislator from Puthuppally had graced the Assembly for a whopping 53 years until his passing on July 19. He had been a legislator, a minister, a leader of the Opposition, and a two-term chief minister.
Monday, the first day of the 9th session, will begin by paying homage to OC, one of the most esteemed political luminaries Kerala has ever seen. The CPM leadership can heave a sigh of relief as this means the NSS and the UDF leaderships are likely to tone down their protest on the day against Speaker A N Shamseer over his controversial comment on myth.
The session is expected to be stormy from Tuesday. The state BJP leadership announced a Nama Japa Yatra outside the Assembly on Thursday. The union minister of state for external affairs, V Muraleedharan, has challenged the UDF whether they will cooperate with the Speaker when he chairs the session.
Even though the UDF has decided not to aggravate the myth controversy, they will not completely brush it under the carpet either. A source close to the leader of the opposition, V D Satheesan, told TNIE that they have been trying to mitigate the controversy at the earliest, which saw them keeping a low profile initially. “The UDF never tried to create division among the various communities when the Speaker’s statement snowballed into a major controversy. If we tried to rake it up in the KLA, it would be contradictory to what we have been saying from day one. If a situation arises, we will definitely raise the issue against the Speaker in the Assembly,” said a source close to Satheesan.
But the UDF camp is upbeat about a slew of issues ranging from the Chief Minister’s stoic silence on a plethora of raging matters including the mortuary comment of CPM veteran leader P Jayarajan; sexual cases against women, especially children, on the rise; corruption practices; inflation; lack of essential goods at Supplyco outlets; denial of welfare measures and dearness allowances to the government employees and more during the Assembly session. But the LDF will also be putting in a brave front to tackle the advances from the Opposition.
The session will be convened for 12 days and emphasis is being given to passing legislation. The major bills that are likely to be considered in the session include The Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) amendment bill, 2023; and the Kerala Taxation (amendment) Bill, 2023, both of which are already in force as ordinances. The Kerala Livestock and Poultry Feed and Mineral Mixture (Regulation of Manufacture and Sale) Bill, 2022; and the Kerala Co-operative Societies (third amendment) Bill, 2022, will be back before the assembly after being considered by the select committee.
The other bills that are likely to be considered include the Kerala Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Payment of Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2022; the Kerala Motor Transport Workers’ Payment of Fair Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2022; the Sree Pandaravaka Lands (Vesting and Enfranchisement) Amendment Bill, 2022; and the Indian Partnership (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2023.
The discussion and voting on supplementary demands for grants for the 2023-24 budget will be on August 21. The session will conclude on August 24. Due to the Onam festive season, there are chances of the Assembly being adjourned earlier than scheduled.
Speaker invites Chandy’s family to assembly session
Speaker A N Shamseer on Sunday visited the bereaved family members of former chief minister Oommen Chandy in Puthuppally. The speaker invited Chandy’s family members, his wife Mariamma Oommen and daughter Maria Oommen, to the assembly session scheduled to commence on Monday. Speaking to the media, Shamseer recalled that for the first time in the last 53 years, a session would commence without Oommen Chandy. Chandy’s political career spans nearly five and a half decades. “Oommen Chandy is an irreplaceable leader,” said Shamseer.