Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 7

With eye on elections, the Channi government looks to use the two-day session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to outline its future political agenda, given the limited time left for the Assembly elections.

The special session will also be a litmus test for Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to assert his authority as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party, given the new challenge of political supremacy being posed by PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu after the ouster of Capt Amarinder Singh as the CM two months ago.

All eyes will be on the CM, as to how he undertakes the floor management to counter the Opposition’s onslaught.

Given the opportunity to draw maximum output from a limited time window, the Cabinet on Sunday decided to extend the one-day special session by another day. The session, slated for November 8, will now be held on November 8 and 11.

Sources said the government would bring in a resolution to reject the three farm laws and Centre’s notification on increasing the jurisdiction of the BSF from 15 km to 50 km, besides a legislation to scrap or renegotiate the power purchase agreements (PPAs) by introducing a Bill.

Apart from preparing the ministers and MLAs to speak on the 50-day achievements and progress made in the sacrilege probe and the special task force’s report on drug trafficking, the CM along with ministers held a three-hour meeting with AG APS Deol to discuss the draft of the resolutions being tabled in the session.

AAP plans strategy

The AAP legislature party met under LoP Harpal Singh Cheema to chalk out the strategy to corner the government on key issues during the special Assembly session.