NDA constituents to meet for Winter Session strategy

The massive victory of the grand alliance in Bihar is likely to echo in Parliament when the Winter Session begins with Janata Dal (United) indicating that it will go with the larger opposition unity on the GST Bill, which it had earlier supported.

The main opposition party, the Congress, has been opposing the passage demanding inclusion of a few provisions in the Bill.

With opposition parties buoyant after NDA’s drubbing in Bihar, senior JD(U) leaders have said they will take a final call only after consulting other parties. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is expected to call a meeting next week to work out the party strategy for the upcoming session for which party leaders say that there is no dearth of issues on which the government can be cornered.

Terming GST as the “need of the hour”, Naidu said: “GST should be passed in the Winter Session of Parliament. We are discussing with them and they have meaningful suggestions… they can also be taken into consideration while adopting the Bill in Parliament”. Key pending bills include the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and land bill, which is pending before a joint committee of Parliament.

Parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu will meet leaders of all NDA allies to discuss the ruling combine’s strategy to push its legislative business and pass key bills with proper floor coordination. The BJP parliamentary party executive will also meet on the eve of the session at the Prime Minister’s residence followed by the NDA meeting.

With the Winter Session beginning on November 26, with a two-day special sitting of both Houses to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution, the ruling BJP has asked its speakers to highlight how the NDA government is committed to uphold the constitutional commitments.

The opposition may not be inclined to disrupt Parliament for the first two days keeping in view the sensitivity about Ambedkar and the seriousness of the issue.