Winter session of J'khand Assembly from Monday, likely to be stormy

With the winter session of the Jharkhand Assembly beginning on Monday, the ruling and opposition parties held separate meetings here on Sunday to chalk out strategies.

The five-day session, which will conclude on December 23, is likely to be stormy with the BJP-led Opposition deciding to corner the government over a slew of issues, mainly corruption, law and order and recruitment policy.

The ruling alliance of JMM, Congress and RJD is, however, confident of giving befitting replies to the Opposition's questions in the House.

The BJP, in its legislative party meeting, decided to corner the government on the alleged mining scam, recruitment policy, which was scrapped by the Jharkhand High Court, the 1932 Khatiyan-based domicile policy and the Sahibganj murder in which a man allegedly chopped his wife into pieces.

BJP's chief whip Biranchi Narayan told PTI, ''The session will be stormy from day one as the government has to give replies on several issues. However, the House will not be paralysed.'' He said the party would seek a reply on recruitment policy, which had been ''framed wrongly'' and was scrapped by the Court. ''Deteriorating law and order and the gruesome murder of a tribal woman in Sahibganj will also be raised. The 1932 Khatiyan, which is a scam of the government, will be exposed. Besides, the government has to reply on mining scam,'' Narayan said.

In UPA legislative party meeting, held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the members decided to give befitting replies to every question of the Opposition.

Senior Congress leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam said, ''We want the House to run smoothly. We are ready with proper reply of all questions of the Opposition.'' About the Sahibganj case, Alam said, ''It was an unfortunate incident and we strongly condemn it. Sensing the gravity of the incident, the administration has taken swift action and arrested eight people.'' Meanwhile, former JMM legislator Sufal Marandi joined the BJP on Sunday at the party headquarters in the presence of the saffron party's state president Deepak Prakash and former chief minister Babulal Marandi.