women power: AAP MLAs Baljinder Kaur (left) and Sarabjit Kaur on their first day in the House.

Red salute: Congress MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra greets a supporter as he make his way to the Assembly.

oppn force: Lok Insaaf Party MLA from Ludhiana Balwinder Singh Bains outside the Assembly.

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 24

The maiden session of the 15th Vidhan Sabha saw the monochrome days getting over! It was all spring colours, visible in the turbans, jackets and silk kerchiefs that were on full display on the treasury benches where Congress MLAs were seated and first three rows of the Opposition benches where the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs were seated.The monochrome deep blue turbans (of the Akali Dal) were decimated to just three rows of the Opposition benches. While Congress MLAs were seen revelling under the leadership of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and AAP MLAs under Leader of Opposition HS Phoolka, the Akali MLAs were left to brave the 77 Congressmen, 20 AAP MLAs and two Lok Insaf Party MLAs — the formidable Bains brothers — by themselves.Akali Dal president and leader of party in the House Sukhbir Singh Badal and the party’s chief patron Parkash Singh Badal were conspicuous by their absence on the day when all other MLAs took oath. Bikram Singh Majithia and deputy leader of the party Ajit Singh Kohar led the party’s team.The day also saw the “ambitious” Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu quickly jump and sit on the Chief Minister’s seat after Capt Amarinder Singh left the session for the day, only to be prodded by his own party’s MLAs and later the Vidhan Sabha staff to vacate the seat.But Sidhu, who got a seat next to the CM’s, did make it a point to assume Amarinder’s role of meeting and greeting all party MLAs who went to take oath, after the CM left the House after one-and-a-half-hour as he had to attend important official meetings.Sidhu also got warm hugs from his once allies Bains brothers, who will now sit across him.The House, which saw some bitter battles in the last Vidhan Sabha and comprises MLAs who fought one of the most acerbic political battles the state ever witnessed, saw some bonhomie today. Almost all Akali MLAs greeted Amarinder and other Congress and AAP leaders. The Congress leaders, too, paid their respects to all senior leaders of their as well as opposition parties.Among AAP MLAs, only Sukhpal Singh Khaira wished leaders of the ruling Congress, Akali Dal and the BJP. Others just took oath and went back to the seat. The young and first-time MLAs were all seen taking blessings from their seniorsThe first person to take oath was the Chief Minister, followed by his Cabinet colleagues in order of seniority, the Leader of Opposition and then MLAs from constituencies selected in alphabetical order.Most of the MLAs took oath in Punjabi, although a few like Minister Aruna Chaudhary took oath in English.AAP MLA from Kotkapura Kultar Singh Sandhwan first touched the ground before taking oath, while Congress MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring took off his shoes before he climbed on to the Speakers pedestal to take oath.

Lively first-timers bring freshness

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 24

Several first-time MLAs brought a whiff of fresh air on the first day of the Assembly session today.The youngest among them, Davinder Singh Ghubaya, said: “For all young legislators like me, it is a great experience to be among senior politicians such as Capt Amarinder Singh.”Ghubaya, a student of Economics at Panjab University, and other newcomers didn’t miss the opportunity to shake hands with Navjot Singh Sidhu. Some even hugged him or touched his feet. Manpreet Badal was another senior leader who got the attention of the junior MLAs.The new entrants included Angad Singh, Amit Vij, Dalvir Singh Goldy Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Sukhwinder Singh Danny and Sukhpal Singh Bhullar (all from the Congress), Rupinder Kaur Ruby, Gurmeet Singh Hayer and Pirmal Singh (AAP) and Harinder Pal Singh Chandumajra (SAD).

No discussion on Guv’s address nowIn the first Business Advisory Committee meeting chaired by pro tem Speaker Rana KP Singh, it was decided that no discussion would be held on the Governor’s address on March 28. The discussion will take place during the Budget session likely in June.

The election to the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be on March 27. The committee includes Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Badal and HS Phoolka.

All in a Day: From surprise to bonhomie

Relative support

The Governor’s gallery was brimming with relatives of MLAs. Prominent among those present were former MLAs Tej Prakash, Charanjit Kaur Bajwa, Malkit Singh Dakha, Mohammad Sadique and Guriqbal Kaur Babli. Many of them were there to witness the oath-taking ceremony.

Surprise element

Outside the Assembly, just before the session began, MLAs talked of power shift. An Akali MLA from Doaba was heard talking of the police not listening to him, while a Congress MLA from Ludhiana was revelling in the new-found adulation and admiration the police and civil administration had for him! “Yakeen hi nahi ho reha (I can’t believe it),” the Congress MLA said.

‘Amarinder chachaji’

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia first shook hands with “chachaji” Capt Amarinder Singh after taking oath, and later accepted the greetings from his party colleagues.

Power dressing

Male legislators outdid their female counterparts in dressing. While six women MLAs looked rather dull and demure (in contrast to the fashionistas of the last Assembly), the men flashed the latest styles in kurtas and bright colours in turbans.

Education Minister again fails to take oath in Punjabi

Amaninder Pal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 24

Aruna Chaudhary, who had taken oath in Hindi during her swearing-in as the Minister of State for Education last week, did it in English today while being sworn in as an MLA.Her husband Ashok Chaudhary, a retired bureaucrat, said the minister was not “comfortable” with the Punjabi language due to “her educational background”.Aruna is heading the school and higher education departments, besides the Languages Department, which is involved in the promotion of Punjabi — the state’s official language.Ashok Chaudhary told The Tribune, “My wife completed her studies in Jammu and Kashmir, where Punjabi was not part of the school or college curriculum. So, she is more comfortable with Hindi and English rather than Punjabi.”In her nomination papers for the Assembly elections, Aruna had declared her “highest qualification” as Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from Kashmir University. “What promotion of the language can we expect from an Education Minister who is not well versed in Punjabi?” asked Sukhdev Singh Sirsa, president of the Punjab Sahitya Akademi.The minister could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.