Kerala Assembly set for stormy session
5 Feb 2016 5:03 AM IST
Solar and bar bribery scams are set to dominate Kerala Assembly’s Budget session, which begins on February 5. The opposition LDF is expected to turn up the heat on the ruling Congress-led UDF government over fresh charges levelled against the Chief Minister and others.
Slated to have 14 sittings, the session is significant as it will be the last one of the 13th Kerala Legislative Assembly before the state goes to the polls later this year.
With ammunition provided by bribery and other charges levelled by the accused in the solar scam, Saritha S Nair, against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Power Minister Arayadan Muhammed and some other Congress leaders, the CPI(M)-led LDF would be looking to target the ruling coalition.
Saritha’s claim that she had bribeed Chandy and Muhammed for helping her 'Team Solar Company' is going to be one of the main weapons for the LDF as it attacks the state government.
Meanwhile, the LDF has decided to stage a march to the Secretariat on the first day of the session, demanding Chandy’s resignation. LDF Convener Vaikom Viswam has said the strategy for the upcoming Session would be finalised by the legislators on that day.
On the other hand, the Treasury benches would seek to turn the tables on LDF by raking up the charge levelled by Saritha that she was offered Rs 10 crore by the CPI-M for levelling allegations against the government. UDF found some respite after the Kerala high court stayed a Vigilance Court’s direction that an FIR be registered against Chandy and Muhammed in the case.
The charge by Kerala Bar Hotel Owners Association working president Biju Ramesh that Rs 2 crore was paid to Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala when he was the KPCC President along with Rs 25 lakh to Health Minister VS Sivakumar would also figure prominently in the House.
Among the official business, the presentation of the state budget for 2016-17 by Chandy is set for February 12.
Chandy has taken over the finance portfolio after Kerala Congress (M) veteran KM Mani resigned following some adverse remarks by high court in the bar bribery scam last year. The session will start with the customary policy address by Governor Justice (retd) P Sathasivam.
Discussions on the Motion of Thanks for the Governor's Address will be held on February 9 and 10, Assembly Speaker N Sakthan said.
The session is scheduled to end on February 25.
Chandy challenges Opposition to prove charges against him
Unfazed by allegations against him in the solar scam, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday challenged opposition parties to prove the charges against him, asserting that he would quit public life “if there is one per cent truth” in the allegations.
“Truth will come out. People of the state will know what really happened,” he told reporters here after a cabinet meeting. “I will quit public life, if there is one per cent truth in the allegations,” he said. Terming as ‘undemocratic’ the CPI(M)-led LDF’s move to attack the government in the Assembly over the allegations, Chandy said, “Opposition has become nervous due to the popularity of the five-year rule of the UDF and there is no threat to the government.”
Hitting out at the LDF for taking up charges levelled by Saritha S Nair, prime accused in the solar case, Chandy said, “Those who go after charges made by a person with no credibility will only disgrace themselves.”
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