Ahead of the upcoming Winter session of Parliament, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, convened a meeting with the floor leaders of political parties on Sunday morning. The all-party meeting, which began at 11 am, was held in the Main Committee Room at Parliament House Annexe in the national capital and was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Rijiju had previously announced the meeting, scheduled for today, on November 19. Key leaders present at the meeting included Congress MPs Jairam Ramesh, Pramod Tiwari, K. Suresh, along with JD(U) MP Upendra Kushwaha. Also in attendance were PV Midhun Reddy and V Vijaysai Reddy from YSRCP, Sasmit Patra from BJD, Vaiko from MDMK, Ramgopal Yadav from SP, and Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu from TDP, among others.
According to sources, the Congress party is expected to raise key issues such as the ongoing situation in Manipur, concerns over the Adani group, and border security at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Winter session of Parliament will begin on November 25 and continue until December 20. One of the primary legislative goals for the session is the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill, which is currently under review by the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The government is also likely to introduce the ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill during the session, a proposal that has been a point of contention.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong advocate for the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, aiming to synchronize Lok Sabha and state assembly elections to improve governance and resource efficiency. He recently emphasized that the move would strengthen India’s democracy and contribute to the country’s development goals.
However, Congress has expressed opposition to the plan, insisting that the Prime Minister must build consensus across all parties in Parliament before moving forward with the proposal.
Meanwhile, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, which has been meeting with various stakeholders across states, is expected to submit its report in the first week of the session.
The Winter session will also observe a break on November 26, 2024, to commemorate “Constitution Day,” with no sittings of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.
(Inputs from ANI)