BJP advises MPs not to miss last session of Parliament before Lok Sabha elections

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has asked its parliamentarians to remain in Delhi to attend Parliament’s budget session from January 31, according to a senior party functionary.

The budget that would be presented during the session is seen as the most important among the budgets Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has presented as its term nears an end ahead of the national polls this summer.

In a communication sent to members of both houses of Parliament on Wednesday, BJP’s parliamentary party secretary, Balasubrahmanyam Kamarsu, said 10 sittings of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be held between January 31 and February 13 to pass several key legislation.

“You are advised not to make any programme outside Delhi during this period,” he wrote.

“This is going to be the last session before parliamentary elections and several populist announcements are expected. Some key legislation needs to be passed and we want full attendance during the session,” the BJP functionary said.

The



government would present the budget for 2019-20 on February 1. It is expected to offer sops to farmers and the middle class ahead of the parliamentary election.

The national polls are being held months after the BJP’s loss of power to Congress in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which account for 65 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats.

“There will be something for everyone,” another top BJP functionary said. He dismissed Opposition’s criticism over the government’s move to present a “full-budget” instead of a vote-on-account. “There is no binding on presenting a budget. Every budget is a full budget,” he said.

The Parliament session will set the tone for the Lok Sabha election, the first BJP leader quoted said. “Relief for income-tax paying salaried class and distressed agrarian community is being discussed.”

The pending laws related to the criminalisation of instant triple talaq and the bill to amend the citizenship to grant nationality to non-Muslim migrants from neighbouring countries will also be taken up.