Ahead of the lok Sabha elections, the Government will hold a Session of Parliament in the first fortnight of February to pass the Vote on Account and try to push half-a-dozen-odd anti-corruption Bills which have been flagged by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. The Session is likely to be stormy as both the Opposition and the treasury benches will see it as the last opportunity to score political points.
With general elections likely to be held in April-May, the coming session will be a continuation of the Winter Session as both Houses were not prorogued. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said that a Parliament Session would be held in the first fortnight of February, and as per the convention it would be for about 15 days or ten sittings. “We are still deciding the business. We will be taking up these (Bills) besides Vote on Account and Railways Vote on Account,” Nath said dismissing the view that the Government wants passage of these bills in view of the polls.
However, the passing of long-pending anti-graft Bills at the fag end of the Government, which has faced serious charges of corruption, could raise the hackles of Opposition parties. While the Government will take a high-moral ground and try to arm-twist the Opposition to back these measures, it will be interesting to see how its political adversaries deal with the challenge of not allowing the UPA to win the battle of perception.
Rattled by drubbing in three Assembly polls recently and complete rout in Delhi, the Congress is desperate to be seen as party determined to tackle the menace of corruption. After extending outside support to the AAP Government in Delhi, the UPA wants to turn the focus away from Arvind Kejriwal’s high-voltage campaign against corruption and retain its traditional vote-bank. Its emphasis on passing the long-pending anti-corruption Bills is part of the same strategy.
Nath confirmed that after the passage of the lokpal Bill UPA wanted to pass important legislations which are part of the Congress agenda. Whistleblowers Protection Bill, Judicial Accountability Bill, Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, Citizens Charter Bill, Timely Delivery of Services Bill and Public Procurement Bill are pending in Parliament.