Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday appealed for cooperation from all political parties for the smooth conduct of the monsoon session of Odisha Assembly beginning Tuesday, even as the opposition BJD and Congress prepared to corner BJP govt on a range of issues.After attending an all-party meeting chaired by Speaker Surama Padhy, Majhi said he had sought the positive cooperation of all parties to uphold healthy parliamentary traditions and ensure constructive discussions and meaningful debates on issues of public interest.“Our government remains firmly committed to working on the basis of consensus and cooperation for the overall welfare of the people and the creation of a prosperous and Viksit Odisha,” CM shared on X.The monsoon session, the seventh session of the 17th Assembly, will run from Sept 22 to Oct 3. Though spread over 12 days, it will have nine working days.Apart from Majhi, deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, parliamentary affairs minister Mukesh Mahaling, law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan and deputy leader of opposition Prasanna Acharya, among others, attended the meeting. Leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik and Congress legislature party leader Rama Chandra Kadam were conspicuous by their absence.Mahaling said discussions focused on ensuring the orderly and smooth functioning of House. He said six bills would be introduced during the session and that govt was open to discussions on all issues concerning the state’s interests, including the MMDR Act, subject to Speaker’s discretion.Harichandan said Speaker had sought cooperation from all members to ensure smooth proceedings, effective transaction of legislative business and the presentation of public issues in House.The brief session is expected to be stormy, with the opposition gearing up to target govt over the impact of the MMDR Act, 2026, alleged errors in school textbooks, the proposed levy of charges on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, the ongoing Odisha-Chhattisgarh dispute over Mahanadi river water sharing, rising prices and the law-and-order situation.BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik said her party had demanded a detailed discussion on the MMDR Act. BJD has been pressing for a special Assembly session on the legislation, arguing that Odisha could suffer significant financial losses and an erosion of its constitutional rights. BJP, however, has defended the Act, saying it would create a level playing field.Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Das, who represented Congress in the meeting, said his party would raise the Mahanadi issue, alleging that despite repeated public statements by govt, there had been no tangible progress in resolving the long-standing dispute, which continues to hurt Odisha’s interests.