Parliament braces for showdown as Govt calls all-party meet

A day before the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins, the Union Government has convened an all-party meeting on July 19 to discuss the Government’s legislations and also address the concerns of Opposition parties. The Monsoon Session will start from July 20 to August 13, following the approval by President Droupadi Murmu to summon both Houses of Parliament.

The Government is expected to introduce several important Bills during the session, making it one of the busiest legislative periods this year. The proceedings are likely to witness sharp exchanges as the Opposition prepares to corner the Government on a number of issues, including the mass defections to the BJP post the Assembly elections in five States, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Among the issues expected to be raised by the Opposition are the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks regarding casualties during Operation Sindoor. The Congress has already submitted a breach of privilege notice against the Defence Minister over his comments.

Sources said all party meeting is expected to brief leaders on the Bills the Government plans to introduce, while Opposition parties are likely to highlight issues they want debated in both Houses. Holding consultations with political parties before every Parliament session is a convention and is held within the premises of Parliament.

The session will come at the backdrop of dent in the most vocal opposition party, Trinamool Congress, as 20 of its MPs have merged with the National Citizens Party of India and extended support to the NDA and have sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha.

In addition, three Trinamool MPs resigned from the Rajya Sabha before joining the BJP.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has also witnessed another split, with six of its Lok Sabha MPs joining the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Earlier, seven AAP members of the Rajya Sabha had also joined the BJP.