Kolkata, Feb 11 A special session of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly may be convened after the ongoing budget session to facilitate an address by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who previously served as the Governor of the state.
Sources from the state Assembly said that an emissary from the Vice President’s office recently met Speaker Biman Banerjee to convey Dhankhar’s desire to address the House. As a mark of respect, the Speaker’s office is considering holding a special session for this purpose.
Assembly insiders said that there is no precedent for any Vice President addressing the West Bengal assembly. Since his speech could not be accommodated within the ongoing budget session, the idea of a special session was proposed.
The exact date for the session is yet to be finalized but is expected to be scheduled after the conclusion of the first and second rounds of the budget session. The first phase of the budget session began on Monday and will continue until February 19, while the second phase will run from March 10 to March 20.
Dhankhar’s potential address has sparked political discussions in the state, given the history of tensions between the Raj Bhavan and the state secretariat during his tenure as Governor of Bengal. At one point, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had even blocked him on her official X handle amid their frequent clashes.
While sources indicate that Dhankhar will refrain from delivering a speech critical of the government, his visit is expected to be closely watched in political circles.
During the Budget Session in 2022, the then Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was unable to deliver his address in the House amid sloganeering, chaos and protests. Dhankhar read out just one sentence from his 25-page speech and left the Assembly.
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