Winter Session: NDA to discuss strategy November 24

A day before the all-party meeting called by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the BJP-led NDA leaders will hold a meeting on November 24 to discuss strategies for the Winter Session of Parliament.

Amid indications of a stormy session, the government could also hold a separate meeting of all parties on November 25 to reach out to the Opposition for passage of key pending bills, including Goods and Services Tax(GST). The Opposition is planning to corner the government over issues, including growing incidents of intolerance, with Left parties planning to a move a motion for a resolution on the issue in the Upper House, where the government does not have numbers on its side. BJP parliamentary party executive is also expected to meet on November 24.

The Winter Session is beginning from November 26 and will culminate on December 23. This is the first parliamentary session after the NDA’s debacle in Bihar elections, leading to some sort of consolidation of the anti-BJP forces on the political arena. The Opposition is likely to raise the issue of intolerance, award wapsi, Dadri lynching, price rise and Centre-state relations in a major way.

Parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu will meet the leaders of all NDA allies to discuss the ruling combine’s strategy to push its legislative business and pass the key bills with proper floor coordination.

The first two days of the session will see special sittings to commemorate the adoption of Indian Constitution on November 26, 1949, and honour its architect, dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar.

There are eight pending bills in Lok Sabha and 11 in Rajya Sabha, where the ruling alliance is in minority. Key pending bills include the GST and land bill, which is pending before a joint committee of Parliament.