MP Assembly 12-day winter session begins

Bhopal, Nov 26: The Madhya Pradesh Assembly's 12-day winter session commenced today with rendering of 'Vande Mataram' as per tradition.

Immediately after the sitting got underway, Speaker Ishwardas Rohani called Kishor Samrite -- who was recently elected in Balaghat district's Lanji bypoll on a Samajwadi Party ticket, while behind bars -- to take the oath as a member.

Mr Samrite was brought to the Vidhan Sabha under police escort, as he is still in police custody, on a court order. The MLA was in prison for about ten months on account of several criminal cases registered against him for participation in public agitations.

This is the first time in Madhya Pradesh that a candidate won an election while imprisoned, and was also brought to the Assembly in police custody.

The Speaker read out the obituary reference condoling the demise of Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha member Vijay Khandelwal, former Union minister K Jana Krishnamurthy, former Janata Dal president S R Bommai, former MP Shankarlal Khatik and ex-legislators Bel Singh, Nathuram Ahirwar, Mahesh Baghel, Ashok Rao, Shivkumar Shrivastava, Kamji Gamira, Ramesh Chandra Mandloi, Vasudeo Chandrakar, Haji Gulam Sipten and Kunjilal Choudhary.

Mr Baghel was a member of the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Leader of the Opposition Jamuna Devi and floor leaders Dr Sunilam (Samajwadi Party), Saroj Bachchan Nayak (Janata Dal-United), Hamid Kazi (Nationalist Congress Party), Harivallabh Shukla (Rashtriya Samanta Dal), Ramlakhan Sharma (Communist Party of India-Marxist) and Mr Lakhan Singh Baghel (Bahujan Samaj Party) also joined the Speaker in paying tributes to the leaders.

The house observed a brief silence as a mark of respect to the departed leaders and was adjourned for the day. Eight more sittings were scheduled during the session.

UNI