Winter session of Parliament delay:
Mid-December planned
The
Parliament’s winter session may be delayed this year and in all likelihood, may
begin mid-December. Two reasons seem to be behind the delayed summoning of the
Parliament session; first being crucial Assembly polls in Gujarat and second
due to the Prime Minister’s eagerness to hold the joint sitting of Lok Sabha
and Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building.
The BJP
leadership is elated that the Election Commission virtually de-linked the
Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat and gave the party extra cushion
to set things right in the crucial state of Gujarat. The process of nominations
in Gujarat will begin on November 14- after the polling in Himachal Pradesh.
The BJP is working hard to touch the 125-130 seats mark in the 182-member
Assembly in Gujarat.
With regard to
the holding the full-fledged winter session of Parliament in the new building
is not possible. The PM is keen that the winter session is held in a new
building during the 75th anniversary of Independence. Now a
workable solution is found and a joint sitting will be held in the new building
and regular sittings of the two houses may be in the old complex. Even as some
Opposition leaders voiced their concern about delaying the winter session
beyond November, it is said that even in the past this had happened. In 2017,
the winter session began on December 15 and lasted until January 5. The ruling
party was keen that there should be no overlapping due to Assembly polls and
the session where some major policy initiatives are being planned by the
government.
