Nearly 100 BJP MLAs and ministers sat overnight in the UP Assembly as part of the 36-hour special session to mark the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, with many members making speeches on various issues and a minister exercising in the early hours.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath left the House around 1 am. Less than 100 of the total 301 BJP members were in the House after midnight as part of the special session. Many members were seen stepping out between 4 am and 6 am.
While the House has a total strength of 403, opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party, BSP, Congress and the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party, had boycotted the session.
However, Congress MLA from Rae Bareli Aditi Singh attended the special session, deviating from her party's decision to stay away from the marathon session.
Asked if she had deviated from the party line by attending the session, she said, "I rose above party line and tried to speak on development. This is my first and foremost priority."
Asked if the party will initiate action against her, Singh said, "It is the party's call and whatever decision they will take, I am ready to accept it. I did whatever I felt was appropriate."
When asked if she was about to take any new step, she said, "For me, the big decision is to work more in the constituency."
Dixit, while urging the MLAs to stick to the stipulated time allotted, said, "We are running late by nearly six hours, and many are interested to speak at midnight."