Parliament winter session: All Party meeting to be held on 24 November
The Centre has called an all-party meeting on November 24, a day before the winter session of Parliament commences, to seek cooperation of opposition parties for the smooth functioning of the session that will last till December 20.
The government wants to foster a collaborative environment and address any concern raised by political parties, both ruling and opposition.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday announced the all-party meeting which is anticipated to be stormy. A wide range of critical issues such as legislative priorities, national security, economic concerns, and regional matters, besides Manipur violence are going to be discussed.
In keeping with the parliamentary tradition, the meeting is convened to inform the Opposition of its legislative agenda as well as discuss issues which parties want to debate in Parliament. Through such a meeting, the government formally seeks cooperation of opposition parties in both Houses during the session.
Sources indicated that leaders of all parties with representation in Parliament are likely to attend the meeting to present their views and discuss strategies for efficient parliamentary proceedings. The agenda will include discussions on setting priorities for the winter session and preparing for debates on potentially contentious issues.
However, similar to previous meetings, full participation from opposition parties seems unlikely, especially from those protesting the government’s handling of the ongoing violence in Manipur.
Opposition parties attending the meeting are expected to raise demands for adequate time to present their concerns in the Houses. They are also likely to critique the Central government’s approach to addressing the violence and unrest in Manipur. The ethnic clashes in Manipur, going on for several months, remain a contentious issue that is expected to dominate talks.
The opposition may also protest against the possibility of the government moving forward with “one nation one election” proposal.
The Congress has rejected the idea of implementing One Nation One Election, saying that the PM has to take everyone in Parliament into confidence for this issue.