Odisha: Naveen Patnaik, Congress Skip All-Party Meeting Ahead Of Assembly Session

Bhubaneswar: The all-party meeting preceding Odisha’s Budget session saw notable absences on Sunday, despite invitations from key figures. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik did not attend, even after receiving a personal invitation from Chief Minister Mohan Majhi. The Congress party was also absent from the meeting.

Speaker Surama Padhi confirmed that the meeting proceeded, gathering input from attendees to ensure smooth legislative proceedings. The Assembly session is set to commence at 11 am Monday with the Governor’s address.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling addressed the opposition’s partial absence, noting his efforts to secure participation from various parties. He emphasized the government’s commitment to following parliamentary rules and reported that the Opposition whip has pledged support for efficient House operations.

The Congress party’s absence was attributed to internal organizational matters. Senior member Tara Prasad Bahinipati described the situation as “unfortunate,” citing a lack of party directives and the pending appointment of a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader as reasons for non-attendance.

In a subsequent development, the Congress announced its leadership structure for the Assembly. Rama Chandra Kadam, MLA from Pottangi, was named CLP leader, with Ashok Das of Basudevpur as deputy. C S Raazen Ekka from Rajgangpur will serve as chief whip.