New Delhi: Ahead of the Parliament session, the government will hold a meeting with leaders of all parties on Sunday to brief them and hear their views, amid an intense buzz on whether it will have some surprise item up its sleeve during the five-day sitting.
The unusual timing of the session, which begins on Monday, has left everyone wondering, even though the main standout feature on the listed agenda is a special discussion on Parliament’s journey of 75 years starting from the “‘Samvidhan Sabha” (Constituent Assembly).
The government has also listed the bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners to be taken up for consideration and passage during the session. The bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha during the last Monsoon session.
The government enjoys the prerogative of tabling in Parliament some new legislation or other items that might not have been part of the listed agenda. Though there is no official word on any probable new legislation, there has been some talk about a bill to ensure quota for women in elected legislatures like Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
What has added to the anticipation around the session is the strong likelihood of Parliament being shifted to the new building which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.
Various departments of parliamentary staff are all set to don new uniforms in a signal from the government that the shift to the new building is likely to be marked with a fresh start in more ways than one.
The successful G20 summit in the national capital under India’s presidency has added to Modi’s appeal and is set to be a major talking point of the treasury benches during the session.
