NEW DELHI, Dec 1:
The shadow of election results in five States will loom large over the winter session of Parliament beginning December 5, which could see the crucial bill on separate Telangana State.
With the Lok Sabha election not far away, the Assembly poll results that will be out on December 8 will show which way the political winds are blowing and are expected to heat-up proceedings in Parliament.
Opposition and the treasury benches are raring to have a go at each other on a host of matters in the briefest session of the 15th Lok Sabha, but the dominant issues will take shape only after the Assembly poll verdict.
A Union Minister conceded that there is unlikely to be much business on the first two days of the session.
December 6 each year has witnessed non-BJP parties paralysing Parliament to protest against the demolition of Babri mosque in 1992.
While Congress and its allies are likely to target the BJP and its PM candidate Narendra Modi on the snoopgate, opposition parties have stacked up ammunition on a wide range of issues- from price rise to coalgate.
As the session has merely 12 sittings, Government managers as also opposition strategists do not have much hope for legislative business.
While plans are afoot to bring the bill on separate Telangana, there are unlikely to be any other major legislations despite the fact that some economic measures are pending for long.
BJP leaders said that they are not aware whether the Telangana bill is being brought up or not.
The nature of the electoral verdict in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi, which will be out next Sunday, and that in Mizoram, where counting is the next day, could affect the political authority of the ruling dispensation if BJP does well under the leadership of Narendra Modi.
If Congress shakes off the BJP challenge in the polls, Modi’s PM candidature could take a major hit as he was undoubtedly been the star campaigner for the opposition party.
Indications are that it could be the last session for all practical purposes before the next general elections.
Deliberations are on in the Government whether to prorogue the session or not after sine die adjournment of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on December 20.
If the session is not prorogued, then instead of holding the budget session early next year for passage of the vote on account, Government could have a second sitting of the winter session.
Such an arrangement would do away with the mandatory requirement of President’s joint address to Parliament which details the programmes of the Government in the year ahead.
This is being considered as Lok Sabha polls are not far away.
BJP’s Prakash Javadekar said that the “first and foremost” issue to be raised was the issue of price rise and slowing of economic growth.
Coalgate will also be raised as the latest affidavit in the Supreme Court on the matter is “yet another coverup”, he alleged.
“We have something new also to raise… As scams are tumbling out of the cupboard of UPA,” he said.
The BJP, he said, will also raise the issue of “dirty tricks department” of Congress.
Detailing various issues including internal security and terrorism that are planned to be raised by the opposition, he remarked “the plate is full and time is less”.
Speaker Meira Kumar has convened a meeting of leaders of various political parties on the eve of the session. (PTI)
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