Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
Running of the Assembly is perhaps paining the members even of the treasury benches as otherwise the House could not have been in an adjournment on August 4, 2010 due to want of quorum.
The House is running in absence of the Opposition because of a declared boycott in protest against desecration of the rampart of democracy by the Chief Minister whose tryst with two ministers of coal scam disrepute has constituted the crux of the controversy.
To most of the treasury bench members, running of the House in the current condition is not at all congenial to spirit of democracy. Some of them have not only expressed this feeling openly during debates, but also have given expression to their disapproval of the style of functioning of the CM by trying to embarrass the government in stubbornly attacking administration for failure in work execution in almost every department. Calculated time spent in the lobby makes one feel that they are very unhappy over running of the house in absence of the Opposition.
True, none of them can revolt against their party autocrat. But it also is true that the disillusioned members of the treasury benches are no more serious about attending the session, as a result of which, absence of quorum had to hit the House when it was armored with unilateralism under the command of the leader of the party that rules.
The Opposition for 16 days till today is braving scorching Sun and stormy rains under the Gandhi statue in the Assembly campus in protest against what they allege, clamping of coal-scamsters on the people as ministers. But the House is going on with its business.
Anarchy! could there be any other scenario where one can so clearly feel your presence?