Winter chill in Parliament session

Winter is about to commence, but in the Winter Session of Parliament the chill has already set in. It opened on December 1  amid brewing political tension. What should have been a routine legislative session-tabling ten new Bills, discussions on national issues, and crucial financial business-now appears headed towards turbulence and confrontation. Until December 19, heated exchanges, adjournments, and walkouts seem inevitable. The Opposition’s insistence on a full-fledged debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls — an issue that has not only united otherwise fragmented Opposition parties but also given them a common rallying point after the electoral setback in Bihar-has set the tone for the session. During Sunday’s all-party and Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings, the Opposition made it abundantly clear that the House would not function smoothly unless the government agreed to discuss SIR. Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav bluntly warned that no business would be allowed without such a debate, while other Opposition leaders placed responsibility for any disruption squarely on the government. The Congress, the TMC, and several regional parties have positioned SIR as a symbol of broader concerns-electoral manipulation, institutional weakening, and what they describe as “vote chori”.

To counter the Opposition’s plank, the government is expected to foreground a different thematic anchor for the session: a discussion on the 150 years of Vande Mataram, India’s national song. This is likely to generate its own heat. For the Opposition, the timing appears deliberate — an attempt to shift attention towards cultural nationalism and away from uncomfortable questions on electoral processes, national security lapses, and foreign policy drift. For the government, marking the historical milestone is both legitimate and apolitical. But inside Parliament, symbolism rarely remains neutral; everything becomes political. In fact, a considerable amount of business is scheduled for the Winter Session. The government is set to introduce the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, to levy an additional cess on pan masala and gutka; another Bill to increase taxes on cigarettes; a proposal for revised GST rates for Manipur; and supplementary demands for grants. These government initiatives will be taken up-though likely amid uproar in the House.

 The Opposition, meanwhile, wants its own legislative and discussion agenda to be prioritised. The Telugu Desam Party has demanded debates on economic performance. The Congress seeks debates on SIR, national security after the Delhi blasts, Jammu & Kashmir statehood, and shifting foreign policy positions involving the US and Russia. While Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has expressed confidence that the House will run smoothly, the signs point otherwise. The opposing approaches could trigger a familiar parliamentary deadlock: the Opposition demanding accountability and the treasury benches insisting on order. The likely outcome-disruptions, walkouts, adjournments, and yet another session washed out.