Speaking at an orientation programme for newly elected MLAs, organised under the aegis of the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) in the presence of Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, Adhikari said his government is committed to give equal respect to elected representatives across party lines.
Legislatures must remain vibrant democratic institutions, he asserted. “Earlier, MPs and MLAs had no honour. They were not invited by BDOs or DMs for official meetings,” Adhikari alleged, contrasting his government’s approach with that of the previous regime.
Even the assembly functioned at the behest of the ruling party office, he alleged recalling his tenure as the leader of the opposition between 2021 and 2026. “I was suspended from the Assembly five times, including during important sessions,” he said.
Adhikari said his government has changed that culture and now all MLAs and MPs, irrespective of political affiliation, are invited to official meetings and administrative programmes.
Leader of the opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, who shared the dais with Adhikari and Birla, heads the rebel Trinamool Congress faction that is staking claim over the party’s name, symbol, flag and organisational control.
The chief minister said the government aims to strengthen democratic institutions and make the West Bengal assembly one of the country’s best legislatures. “The assembly will be people-oriented. In the coming days, Bengal will shine again,” he said.Live telecast of assembly proceedings has begun, he noted. Also, the house is being fully digitised, and its infrastructure upgraded.
Speaking at the event, Birla urged the newly elected legislators to work towards improving the lives of the “last person” in society and said a developed West Bengal is essential for achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047.
