Rajasthan MLAs Take Oath, Congress Protests Suspension of MPs

The newly elected members of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly took oath on the first day of the two-day session, with Congress legislators expressing protest against the suspension of opposition MPs by wearing black ribbons.

Jaipur, December 20: The newly elected members of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly took oath on Wednesday, marking the commencement of the first day of a two-day session. The inaugural session of the 16th assembly convened at 11 am, witnessing the oath-taking ceremony for 190 out of the 199 members.

Congress Legislators Protest Suspension of MPs

Congress legislators arrived at the House wearing black ribbons as a symbolic protest against the suspension of 143 opposition MPs from Parliament. The elections for 199 out of 200 seats in Rajasthan were conducted last month, with the election for the Karanpur seat postponed due to the unfortunate demise of the Congress candidate. The rescheduled date for the Karanpur election has been set for January 5, 2023.

Chief Minister and Deputies Lead Oath-Taking

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma led the oath-taking ceremony, followed by his two deputies, Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa. While the majority of the members opted to take their oaths in Hindi, a few, including Congress MLA Zuber Khan and Independent MLA Yoonus Khan, chose to recite their oaths in Sanskrit. Several legislators expressed their desire to take the oath in Rajasthani, but Protem Speaker Kalicharan Saraf declined their requests, citing the exclusion of Rajasthani from Schedule Eight of the Constitution.

Remaining Oaths and Speaker Election

The MLAs who were absent from the first day of the session will be administered their oaths on Thursday. Additionally, the election for the post of speaker will also take place on Thursday, with the BJP nominating Vasudev Devnani for the position.

Congress Raises Objections, MLAs Arrive in Unique Attire

Shortly after the proceedings commenced, Congress MLA Shanti Dhariwal raised an objection regarding the short notice provided for the assembly session. Congress MLA Govind Singh Dotasra, who serves as the party's state unit chief, attempted to raise the issue of the suspended opposition MPs from Parliament, but his request was denied by the protem speaker.

Adding a touch of uniqueness to the proceedings, MLAs of the Bharat Adivasi Party arrived in traditional tribal attire, while Independent lawmaker Ritu Banawat made a grand entrance on a tractor. BJP MLA Jethanand Vyas chose to arrive on a motorcycle, capturing the attention of onlookers.

Nomination Papers Presented for Speaker Post

On Wednesday, Vasudev Devnani, the BJP's nominee for the speaker's position, presented five sets of nomination papers. The first set, presented before Assembly Principal Secretary Mahavir Prasad Sharma, featured Chief Minister Sharma's proposal, seconded by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot. The second set included the proposal of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, seconded by Dotasra. The third set presented the proposal of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, seconded by Bharat Adivasi Party MLA Rajkumar Roat. In the fourth set, Diya Kumari's proposal was seconded by Independent MLA Chandrabhan Singh, while the fifth set showcased the proposal of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party MLA Hanuman Beniwal, seconded by Rashtriya Lok Dal MLA Dr. Subhash Garg.

Party Standings in the Assembly

The BJP holds a majority in the 200-member House, with 115 MLAs. The Congress follows with 69 MLAs, while the Bharat Adivasi Party has three MLAs, the Bahujan Samaj Party has two, and the Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party have one MLA each. Additionally, eight Independent members were elected, and one seat remains vacant.