Jaipur, Feb 3 (PTI) – Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena will not be attending the ongoing Budget Session of the state Assembly due to health concerns, Speaker Vasudev Devnani announced on Monday.
At the beginning of Zero Hour, Devnani informed the House that Meena had formally sought permission to remain absent from the Assembly proceedings for health reasons. The request was approved, with the Speaker stating, "I have to inform the House that Assembly member Kirodi Lal has sought permission to remain absent from the meetings of the House due to ill health till the end of the session."
The announcement came amid an uproar from various members. Notably, this is not the first time Meena has missed an Assembly session; he was also absent from the previous session in July last year due to "unavoidable reasons."
Political Discord and Past Absences
Meena's absence has drawn attention due to his ongoing discord with certain members of his party. Following the BJP’s losses in select constituencies during the last Lok Sabha elections, he had offered his resignation. However, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma refused to accept it. In an attempt to reconcile, the party fielded Meena's brother, Jagmohan Meena, from the Dausa seat in the November 2024 Assembly bypoll. However, Jagmohan Meena faced defeat, which Kirodi Lal Meena attributed to internal party conflicts.Opposition Targets BJP Over Meena’s Absence
During the Question Hour, the opposition took aim at the ruling party, questioning Meena’s absence from the crucial Budget Session. The debate escalated into a heated exchange between Congress and BJP members after opposition legislator Chetan Patel raised concerns about crop damage caused by excessive rainfall in Pipalda. The Congress objected to Minister of State for Rural Development Otaram Dewasi responding in Meena’s stead, leading to further clashes.The Rajasthan Assembly’s Budget Session commenced on Friday with Governor Haribhau Bagde’s address. Meena was present at the time but has since opted out of the proceedings due to health issues.
With tensions running high in the Assembly, Meena’s absence has only added to the political drama unfolding in Rajasthan’s legislative corridors.
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