Inside the new Punjab House, medley of fresh and seasoned

CHANDIGARH: It was a medley that no Punjab assembly had seen before. Opposition benches split down the middle, a sea of young faces, the oldest member not present, turncoats who made the winning switch, and a “comedian” who had the last laugh.

The 15th assembly of 117 members was at its colourful best, and not just in terms of the turbans of MLAs, when it gathered for its maiden session in Chandigarh on Friday. Congress MLAs sported bright pinks, blues, purples and reds amid divided colours of the opposition — mainly yellow turbans of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators and blue of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Another attraction was the new crop of politicians as firsttime MLAs, including a former cricketer, a former newspaper editor, a Supreme Court lawyer and, not to miss, a son of an opposition party MP on the treasury benches! A record 11 MLAs are under the age of 36.

The oldest member, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, 89, who sat on the CM’s chair five times, gave the first day of the new House a miss. So did his son and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. It’s the first time — barring the House elected in 1992 when the SAD did not contest elections — that the SAD is not even the principal opposition party.

The distinction of the youngest member went to a Congress MLA with SAD pedigree. Davinder Singh Ghubaya, 25, is a son of Akali Dal’s Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya. Pro-tem speaker Rana KP Singh administered the oath to 114 MLAs (excluding himself and Badals) in about two hours.

The newcomer AAP with its 20 MLAs occupied the place of principal opposition party, with all its MLAs except one (Sukhpal Singh Khaira) being first-timers. Having won the election with a brute majority of 77 seats, the air of vindication on the Congress benches was loud and clear. The treasury benches cheered each MLA who went up to take oath with thumping of desks. And none forgot to seek the blessings of the new captain, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

What was also unmissable was the newfound chemistry between Amarinder and cricketer-turnedpolitician Navjot Singh Sidhu.