The government has convened an all-party meeting on December 2 ahead of the Winter session of Parliament according to government sources. This is the penultimate session of Parliament before the 2024 General elections.
The session is expected to begin on a stormy note. It is expected that the report of the Ethics Committee on the “cash-for-query” allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra will be tabled in Lok Sabha on the first day on December 4. The panel has recommended Ms. Moitra’s expulsion.
The House will have to adopt the report before the expulsion recommended by the panel comes into effect.
The all-party meeting where the government presents its agenda and the opposition presents its wish list of issues to be debated is usually convened a day before the session begins. This time it has been advanced by a day reportedly due to counting of votes for five states on December 3 where polls are underway.
With Congress pinning its hope on wresting power in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana while retaining their governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the results will dominate the mood of the session and influence the tone and tenor of the opposition.
Three key bills which seek to replace the IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act are likely to be taken up for consideration during the session as the standing committee on Home has already adopted the three reports recently. At least 10 members filed dissent notes and the government is bracing for a heated debated on the legislation.
Another key Bill pending in Parliament relates to the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.
Introduced in the Monsoon session, the government had not pushed for its passage in the special session of Parliament amid protests from the opposition and former chief election commissioners as it seeks to bring on a par the status of the CEC and ECs with that of the cabinet secretary. At present, they enjoy the status of a Supreme Court judge.
