Cong-led UDF objects to Nov 1 Kerala Assembly session, terms it violation of rules

Thiruvananthapuram Oct 31( IANS) A procedural dispute has erupted in the Kerala Legislative Assembly ahead of its fifteenth session for a one day sitting on Saturday, November 1, with the Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan objecting that the move violates Rule 13(2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.

The special one-day session is to announce the state’s declaration of being “free of extreme poverty”, a first of its kind in the country and is being done on Kerala Formation Day as it was on this day in 1956 Kerala came into being.

In a letter to Speaker A.N. Shamseer dated October 18, 2025, the Congress Parliamentary Party leader A.P. Anil Kumar said that convening the Assembly on a Saturday contravenes established rules and conventions, which require prior approval of the House before holding sittings on weekends or public holidays.

The Speaker, in his response on October 23, is understood to have cited precedents from 1957, 1960, and 1987, stating that the House could meet on a Saturday after temporarily suspending Rule 13(2) at the beginning of the session.

However, the Opposition contended that the comparison was flawed, noting that Rule 13(2) was not in force during the 1957 and 1960 sessions.

The rule was approved by the Assembly on September 19, 1960, and has since governed how sessions are scheduled.

The Opposition cited two occasions after its adoption -- August 9, 1975, when a special session was called to ratify the 40th Constitutional Amendment Bill, and December 12–13, 1987, when the House was extended into the weekend to complete discussion on the Kerala Public Servants (Inquiries and Investigations) Bill -- where the Assembly had first passed a motion to secure approval under Rule 13(2).

“Since the rule came into effect, the Assembly has never met on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday without its prior consent,” Anil Kumar wrote in his letter dated October 31, 2025, urging the Speaker to uphold parliamentary norms.

The letter called for a clear ruling from the Speaker, asserting that the November 1 session convened without prior approval was "against both procedure and precedent".

Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan on Friday said the UDF parliamentary party will meet on Saturday 8 a.m. to decide on the way forward.

--IANS

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