Chennai: The first session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for the year will commence on Monday, with Governor R.N. Ravi scheduled to address the House. As per tradition, the Governor will be accorded a ceremonial reception on his arrival at the Assembly.
Speaker M. Appavu and Legislative Assembly Principal Secretary Srinivasan will escort him into the House, where the Speaker will be seated beside the Governor during the address.
However, the Governor’s speech has once again become a subject of political and procedural uncertainty. In both 2024 and 2025, Governor Ravi had refrained from reading the customary address, citing the state government’s refusal to sing the national anthem at the beginning of the programme, as per his preference.
With a similar format expected this year, questions remain over whether the Governor will proceed with the speech or choose to leave without delivering it. The situation is expected to become clear later in the day.
According to the official programme, the session will begin with the Tamil Thai Vazhthu (Tamil invocation). This will be followed by the Governor’s address in English. The Tamil translation of the speech will be read out by the Speaker.
In the event of the Governor declining to deliver the address, the Speaker will read the full text and formally conclude it.
The proceedings will then end with the singing of the national anthem.
Following the conclusion of the day’s formalities, the Business Advisory Committee will meet in the Speaker’s chamber to decide the duration of the Assembly session.
It has been indicated that on January 21, the House will pass an obituary reference in memory of the late MLA Ponnusamy, after which the proceedings are likely to be adjourned for the day.
The motion of thanks to the Governor’s address will be moved on January 22, and legislators will participate in a detailed discussion over the subsequent days.
On the final day of the session, January 24, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is expected to deliver his reply to the debate.
With the Assembly elections approaching, this session is being seen as politically significant. Opposition parties, including the AIADMK and the BJP, are preparing to raise a series of allegations against the ruling party and the government.
The Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues are gearing up to respond, setting the stage for a high-voltage and politically charged Assembly session.
(IANS)
