Controversies surrounding CMs likely to rock Parliamentary session

New Delhi, Jul 12 : In a departure from norms, controversies surrounding chief ministers, especially those belonging to BJP, are likely to figure in Parliament in a big way when it meets for the Monsoon Session in July 21.

Opposition parties have given indications that they would raise the issue of scams and controversies allegedly involving Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh, Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan and Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh -- all belonging to BJP -- and demand their resignations.

The opposition would take up the issues involving the chief ministers to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "silence" over the alleges scams and controversies.

Chouhan has been drawing flak over the Vyapam scam and Raje is embroiled in the Lalit Modi controversy while Singh is at the receiving end of Opposition attack over the alleged PDS scam in Chhattisgarh.

There has been no indication from the BJP so far about action against any of its chief ministers. BJP, on its part, is likely to train its guns on Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of Congress, who is embroiled in cases of disproportionate assets.

The only Left Chief Minister in the country, Manik Sarkar of CPI-M, too may come under attack of Congress and BJP over the chit fund scam in Tripura. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party has been drawing flak over the law and order situation in the state following the murder of a journalist.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of AAP is at loggerheads with the Centre over a variety of issues and is likely to come under attack from BJP and Congress. Perhaps in no other Parliament session in the past, the alleged misdeeds of so many chief ministers have been raised.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of the BJD and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress have seen several of their party colleagues under scanner in chit fund scams.

The government's floor managers conceded to the possibility a stormy Monsoon Session. In the last Lok Sabha, an entire session was virtually washout over the Opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee in the 2G scam.

Several Union ministers are also in the dock including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the wake of revelations of former IPL boss Lalit Modi. HRD Minister Smriti Irani's resignation is also being demanded in the wake of controversy over her educational qualifications.

PTI