Opposition to devise joint strategy for Parliament session to corner Centre: Sources

As per sources, leaders of various parties are likely to meet in the upcoming week to devise a joint floor strategy for the Monsoon session of Parliament. They are reportedly planning a joint offensive against the Centre to corner it on issues such as the faceoff with China at the Line of Actual Control, handling of the COVID-19 crisis, economy and GST compensation to the states. At the recent meeting on JEE-NEET exams and GST compensation chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, opposition CMs such as Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee and Hemant Soren had expressed willingness for like-minded parties to work together.

Sources added that senior Congress leaders have been asked to contact United Progressive Alliance partners and other political parties for putting up a united fight against the Union government. It is perceived that the row over Facebook's alleged bias towards political parties might spill over to both Houses of Parliament. Moreover, the Congress party is set to oppose the ordinances issued by the Centre in the recent past. The opposition parties are also likely to raise the issue of scrapping Question Hour in this session. 

Read: Congress Vehemently Rebukes 'No Question Hour' Decision; Questions 'relevance Of Session'

Monsoon session

Currently, there are 41,13,811 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in India out of which 31,80,865 patients have been discharged while 70,626 deaths have been recorded. The Monsoon session will be held from September 14 to October 1 without any weekend break. The chambers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha shall be used to seat the MPs. Already, the secretariat of both Houses of Parliament have issued guidelines urging the parliamentarians to wear masks and observe social distancing.

On the first day, Lok Sabha will conduct its proceedings from 9 am to 1 pm while Rajya Sabha members will transact business between 3 pm and 7 pm. For the rest of the session, the Lok Sabha members shall sit from 3 pm to 7 pm. On the other hand, Rajya Sabha proceedings will take place from 9 am to 1 pm. The two-hour break shall be used to disinfect the Parliament. MPs, their support staff and security staff will have to undergo a test for COVID-19 prior to the beginning of the session. Furthermore, Question Hour has been done away with amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Read: Congress Takes High Moral Ground On Question Hour Ahead Of Monsoon Session Of Parliament

(With PTI inputs)