Winter session of parliament from Nov 26

Govt appeals to Opposition not to disrupt Parliament as key legislations like the GST are awaiting clearance

With the government announcing the convening of the Winter session of Parliament from November 26 to December 23, the impact of the Bihar polls is sure to find echo in the proceedings there. A day after the Bihar rout, a wary government appealed to the Opposition "not to interpret the result as a mandate to disrupt Parliament" as key legislations like the GST are awaiting clearance. As it is the Monsoon session had been a stormy one.

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh met today.

Speaking to reporters later Parliamentary Affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu said, that the government will walk the "extra mile" to accommodate the Opposition. Naidu added, "We will do a detailed analysis of the outcome, but all concerned need to understand that the Bihar verdict needs to be taken in the right perspective. To interpret the result as a mandate to disrupt Parliament is questioning the wisdom of people of the state," he said.

 

Asked about Congress's insistence on seven amendments to the GST Bill, he said that can be discussed in the house

However, former Union minister and senior Congress leader, P Chidambaram said, "FM should realise that BJP's inflexible and stubborn position is blocking the GST Bills, not Congress' objections which are principled and logical.

The Congress-led Opposition has already made it clear that the Bihar results were a verdict against the leadership of Narendra Modi, the unpopular policies of the Centre and the principles of their parent organization the RSS. Giving ample indications that the session once again with an emboldened Opposition is likely to be a stormy one.

Congress General Secretary incharge of Bihar C P Joshi asserted that the Bihar poll impact will have "national ramifications". He rejected Naidu's claim that that the Congress would resort to obstructing Parliament and stated that it was the BJP as Opposition that had washed out entire sessions.

With the government under attack from liberals, intellectuals and writers on the issue of "intolerance", the Opposition is bound to rake it up in the upcoming session. The Bihar verdict is being seen as a mandate against the intolerance fostered by the BJP- which is likely to put the treasury benches on the backfoot in the face of a belligerent Opposition especially in the Rajya Sabha.