Govt calls all-party meet ahead of Monsoon Session

New Delhi: Ahead of  the Parliament ‘s Monsoon Session on July 19, the Government has convened an all-party meeting on Sunday to hold discussions with the Opposition leaders  as Covid-19 conditions stare hard in the face and expected to be one of the main subjects  raised by the Opposition parties.

The Opposition leaders have accused the Modi-Government of  failing to provide people with the adequate medical infrastructure support, particularly the life  saving oxygen,  during the second-killer-wave of coronavirus in April-May, this year.

This is the first  session being held after the stormy west Bengal poll along with elections to Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry  assemblies..

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has invited leaders  of political parties for the meet on July 18  in which Prime Minister Narendra  Modi is expected  to be present,  sources said.

An Executive meeting of the BJP’s Parliamentary Party  is also likely  to be held on Sunday.

Around 17 bills are listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha and as many in the Rajya Sabha.

Conventionally , the government convenes  to exchange ideas and narrow down differences on the parliamentary agenda and  ensure smooth functioning of the House during the session. The Monsoon session begins on July 19 and to  conclude on August  13 with 19 days business  and expected to be tumultuous with opposition getting an opportunity post-second-covid19 wave to take on the government on  falling economy,  failure to check the second  surge in the pandemic and investigation ordered  by a French court into the purchase of  Rafale fighter jet deal .

Congress President  Sonia Gandhi has held a meeting  of the party’s parliamentary  strategy group to discuss key issues to be raised by the party in both the houses



during the monsoon session. The session would also be first following  first  major overhaul  by Prime Minister Modi  since he took over reins of  government for the second-time in 2019 of his council of ministers that witnessed old-time bigwigs like Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Javadekar , Harsh Vardhan and Santosh Gangwar made to resign and young faces inducted.

Gearing-up for the Parliament session  BJP has appointed  Union minister Piyush Goyal  as the leader of house in Rajya Sabha. He will succeed Thawar Chand Gahlot who has been appointed the governor of Karnataka and resigned  as a union minister following the changes affected in the cabinet..

The Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has intimated the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that Goyal will be the Leader of House, sources said.

Goyal, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, is currently the deputy leader of the NDA and is also Union Minister in the Cabinet. He is holding  the charge of various ministries, including commerce and industry, food and consumer affairs, and textiles. Prior to becoming a minister in 2014, Goyal was the treasurer of the BJP for a long time.

BJP is keen to put the opposition on the mat which is trying to gather some momentum and ‘join hands together’  in the coming assembly polls in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa, early next year.

Party President J P  Nadda  has held a meeting of senior leaders at the residence of  Union Defence Minister Rajanth Singh to finalize strategy to take on the opposition, particularly  the Congress which is mulling over to change its leader of  opposition in the Lok Sabha to put-up a more spirited show against the treasury benches..

BJP is anticipating that the opposition may attack it for Covid19 management amidst potential third-pandemic-wave, inflation, and fuel prices which have already crossed Rs 100 a litre in some cities.