Nirendra Dev
New Delhi: The Central Government is likely to introduce seventeen new bills in both houses and five key ordinances.
Parliament session would get underway on Monday, July 19.
It is tough going for every side and all parties, given the complex political situation in the country amid COVID-19 fears.
The reasons for this range from stiff competition electorally both in recent past and what we are heading for next year’s battle with the infighting within parties, contradictions in opposition alliances, foreign funding to news portals to farmers’ stir, and arrests of some leaders.
How would UP electoral shapes up is another contentious issue before the lawmakers.
Hours before the Monsoon session and in the run-up to the Parliament session, Congress appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the new Punjab Congress chief.
Because of his proximity to the umpire at 10 Janpath, the former batting star has benefited in his match against the Captain.
Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa of BJP recently visited Delhi and met top leaders amid reports of some voices against him.
From Maharashtra, NCP stalwart Sharad Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fueling many speculations.
The Agadi combine of Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress has several inherent troubles.
There are also debates to end Sedition law, and no less than the Delhi High Court says India should at the earliest opt for Uniform Civil Code.
So, it will be a monsoon session of hope and despair.
“From the sidelines, common people will expect constructive discussions on issues like fuel prices, jobs amid the Covid crisis, and the management of COVID-19 vaccines.”
On Sunday, Modi chaired an all-party meeting to ensure smooth functioning of both the Houses and said, “We look forward to a productive session where all issues can be debated as well as discussed in a constructive manner.”
Seventeen new Bills are likely to be introduced in each of the Houses and five key Ordinances are also pending.
The 2020 winter session was skipped completely because of the pandemic, and the Monsoon Session will also be held strictly abiding by the Covid protocols.
This is the first session of Parliament within a fortnight. The Prime Minister carried out a drastic reshuffle of the cabinet and dropped 12 ministers, including Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
It was also perhaps seen as a lucky reprieve for a few and to use cricket parlance, some players have kept the wickets intact.
The reshuffle-cum-expansion saw big booster to younger lawmakers such as Kiren Rijiju (Law Minister) and Anurag Thakur (I&B Minister) while Ashwini Vaishnaw, a former bureaucrat, got key portfolios of IT and
Railways.
There are four former Babus in the Modi ministry, and between them–S Jaishankar, Hardeep Singh Puri, R. K. Singh, and Vaishnaw–handle portfolios such as External Affairs, Petroleum, and Housing, Power and
the ones held by Vaishnaw.
West Bengal MPs, especially from Trinamool Congress, are expected to create stormy scenes as the Mamata Banerjee-led regime is in constant confrontation with the center.
The NHRC report on post-poll violence, which was submitted to the Calcutta High Court, has left the Trinamool Congress leadership red-faced.
Earlier, a few months state’s chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay also courted controversies and is now facing a charge of ‘indiscipline’ and dereliction of duties.
