‘TN Assembly session to begin on Jan 9, Udhay to occupy front row’

CHENNAI: The first session of the Tamil Nadu state legislative assembly for the year 2023 will commence on January 9.

The session will kick-start with the customary Governor’s speech, according to speaker M Appavu. He said Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who was inducted to the cabinet recently, would occupy the front row in the treasury bench, while hinted that there would not be any change in the seating arrangements in the opposition bench.

“As per the assembly protocol, Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin will be allotted a seat between State Law Minister S Regupathy and Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu,” Appavu told media persons at Secretariat on Monday.

He wished him to perform well to create a new benchmark for the state in sports.

The Governor’s speech will be live telecasted.

Efforts are on to live telecast the entire session, Appavu said and continued that the question hours would be live telecasted as per the existing practice.

The Business Advisory Committee would meet on the same day to decide on the number of days the house would meet, he said, adding, “The state health minister (Ma Subramanian) has already made it clear. So, Covid precautionary measures will be taken during the session.”

On the tussle between the Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami’s led camp and his rival camp headed by O Panneerselvam over the seating arrangements in the assembly, Appavu digressed from the issue by stating that he had already made it clear in his remark during the last assembly session.

“They belong to a political party. If they have a difference of opinion, they have to settle within themselves,” he said, alluding that there would be no change in the seating arrangements.

On bills pending for Governor’s nod, the Speaker skirted away from responding to the question by stating that everyone was aware about it.