The season of marriage is weighing heavier that the politics of parties in Uttar Pradesh.
While leaders of almost all major political parties, particularly those in the Opposition, are pressing of an extension of the on-going Winter Session of the state Assembly, the legislators are yearning to return to their constituency to attend the weddings taking place there.
“This is the wedding season and as a legislator, it is important for me to attend marriages where I have been invited. In a state like UP, not attending a marriage function in your constituency is seen as arrogance,” said a BJP MLA.
Ironically, it is the BJP that staged a dharna inside the Assembly on Monday to press for an extension of the Session.
“We understand that MLAs need to go to the constituencies and fulfill their social obligations in this season but demanding a longer session is a political compulsion,” confessed a senior party leader.
While most UP legislators say that will prefer to forego the assembly session rather than the weddings in their constituencies, the BSP legislators are apparently bound by the party discipline.
“We have told our leaders to seek Ms Mayawati’s permission and let us return to our constituencies in this season. We are waiting for her response,” stated a BSP MLA.
If the legislators, cutting across party lines, are to be believed, each one gets invitations for at least 10 to 15 weddings in their constituencies every day. The chief minister, too, has average of 50 to 60 invitations for weddings every day in the current season while the Lucknow Mayor Dr Dinesh Sharma says it is a Herculean task to attend maximum number of weddings these days.
“These invitations come from influential people in the constituency and our supporters and workers who work for us during elections. Besides, there are people from the rural interiors who want our presence in their functions. It is not possible to ignore them and remain in Lucknow. It is our people who get us elected and our performance in the assembly does not matter then,” admitted a Samajwadi legislator, who returned to his constituency on Tuesday and said that he will not return for the remaining session.
Another SP MLA said that though the party had no problem in extending the session. Most MLAs want a break till December 15 when the wedding season ends.
“The assembly session can resume after the wedding season is over and we have passed on this suggestion to the chief minister too,” he said.