Sonia Gandhi Calls Meeting to Strategize for Special Parliament Session; Opposition Gears Up

TEN NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi, Sep 04, 2023: Congress Parliamentary Party (CCP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi has convened a meeting of the party’s Parliamentary strategy group at 5 pm on Tuesday. The primary agenda of the meeting is to discuss plans and strategies for the upcoming special session of Parliament scheduled from September 18 to 22.

Additionally, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has summoned a meeting of MPs belonging to the newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). This gathering aims to deliberate on a joint strategy for the parliamentary session.

The Union government’s decision to call a special session of both Houses of Parliament has drawn significant attention. The session is set to exclude the Question Hour and private members’ business, as confirmed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats. The session will consist of five sittings, with members receiving separate notifications for the provisional calendar.

Addressing reporters, KC Venugopal, a senior Congress leader, stated, “Kharge ji also called a meeting of MPs of like-minded opposition parties, where the agenda for the upcoming session would be discussed.”

The opposition bloc is aligning its efforts and planning to confront the ruling BJP on various fronts, including preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In parallel, the central government has established an eight-member committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind to examine and provide recommendations for conducting simultaneous elections in India. This development came shortly after the announcement of the special session. However, the government has remained tight-lipped about the specific topics to be addressed during the session.

Opposition leaders have criticized the Narendra Modi-led government for announcing the special session without prior consultations or informing the Business Advisory Committee, sparking controversy and debate within the political landscape.