Summary:
Dehradun, Apr 18 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Yashpal Arya formally assumed office at the Vidhan Sabha here on Monday but more than half of Congress MLAs were absent on the occasion, belying the party"s claims of unity.
The Congress MLAs in attendance were Bhuvan Chandra Kapri, Mamata Rakesh, Anupama Rawat, Sumit Hridayesh, Manoj Tiwari and Gopal Rana.
The programme was also attended by state Congress president Karan Mahra and senior party leader Harish Rawat.
Among the MLAs who did not attend the programme were Pritam Singh, Rajendra Bhandari, Madan Singh Bisht and Harish Dhami.
Eleven of the 19 Congress MLAs in the state were also absent from the programme held at the party office here on Sunday when newly appointed state party chief Karan Mahra formally assumed charge.
The MLAs absent from Sunday"s programme were Pritam Singh, Mamata Rakesh, Rajendra Bhandari, Vikram Singh Negi, Furkan Ahmad, Mayukh Mahar, Madan Singh Bisht, Khushal Singh Adhikari, Tilak Raj Behar, Gopal Singh Rana and Harish Dhami.