The “tentative agenda” for the five-day Special Session of Parliament starting September 18 was unveiled on Wednesday night, with the Government listing a discussion on the Parliamentary journey of the past 75 years and the passage of five Bills in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including the Bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Commissioners.
The agenda was published in the bulletins of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The documents stated on the first day, there will be a discussion in both the Houses on Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha.
The tentative legislative business for the Lok Sabha listed four Bills, including The Advocates (Amendment) Bill and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill. The Bills listed for passing should not be taken as exhaustive, the bulletin said.
Earlier, amid speculation about the agenda of the Special Session of Parliament, the Government on Wednesday announced convening a meeting of the floor leaders of all political parties on September 17, a day before the start of a five-day session which is taking place a few months before the Lok Sabha elections, due early next year.
Reacting to the announcement, Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh said the Modi Government announced the agenda for the special 5-day session of Parliament under pressure from Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s letter to the Prime Minister. “The agenda as published at the moment is much ado about nothing — all this could have waited till Winter Session in November. I am sure the legislative grenades are being kept up their sleeves to be unleashed at the last moment as usual. Regardless, the INDIA parties will steadfastly oppose the insidious CEC Bill,” Ramesh, also a member of the Rajya Sabha, said.
Earlier in the day while announcing the all-party meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi did not share any details as to what is on the table in the coming special session from September 18 to September 22.
The invitation for the meeting has been sent to all concerned leaders through email, Joshi posted on social media platform X.
On August 31, Joshi had announced a “special session” of Parliament for five days from September 18, but did not spell out any specific agenda for it.
“Amid Amrit Kaal, looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament,” Joshi had posted
on X.
The special session is to start in the old building on September 18 and will be later moved to the new building on September 19 on the occasion of “Ganesh Chaturthi”.
Earlier, speculation was rife on the session deliberating issues ranging — One Nation, One Election, changing country’s name to “Bharat” from India, women reservation issue, Uniform Civil Code or a surprise announcement on the Lok Sabha polls.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee had earlier claimed that the Government might advance the Lok Sabha poll and may be held along with elections to five State Assemblies, including that of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Regarding the “One Nation, One Election” concept, the Government has already established a committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind to examine the feasibility of simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, legislative Assemblies, and Panchayats.
Opposition parties, caught off guard by the announcement of the special session, have criticised the Government for not revealing the session’s agenda, especially with just a few days remaining before its commencement.
On Wednesday, Opposition leaders voiced their concerns about the Special Session of Parliament, asserting that only a select few are privy to its agenda, leaving very little time for preparation.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh expressed his views on X, stating, “Today is September 13. The five-day special session of Parliament will commence five days from now and nobody — barring One Man (ok, perhaps the Other One too) — has any sense of the agenda.”
Ramesh also provided examples of previous occasions when special sessions or sittings were held, and the agenda was known well in advance.
For instance, he pointed out that on November 26, 2019, a special sitting in Central Hall was organised to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Constitution. He also highlighted the Joint Special Session in Central Hall on June 30, 2017, which marked the introduction of the GST.
Ramesh emphasised that transparency about the session’s agenda has been maintained in the past, citing instances such as November 26 and 27, 2015, when a special sitting was held to commemorate Constitution Day.