Opposition parties may boycott winter session

New Delhi. 13 other parties including Congress may decide on boycotting the winter session of Parliament. Opposition parties can take this decision without debate in both the houses on the issue of repeal of three agriculture laws and suspension of 12 MPs in Rajya Sabha on Monday. According to information received from the sources, a decision on the issue of boycott of the winter session can be taken in the meeting of the opposition parties on Tuesday morning. Opposition parties are also making up their mind to protest in Parliament and disrupt the proceedings. However, the final decision on all these will be taken today.
Trinamool Congress will not attend the Congress-led meeting. The party’s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said the party called a separate meeting to decide its next course of action. Two TMC MPs are also among the 12 MPs who have been suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the rest of the session.

Two opposition strategists said boycotting the session was an option but the parties would have to agree on it. The plan will also depend on whether opposition parties get a chance to demand legislation to guarantee crop support in Parliament after failing to debate the agriculture bill.

“If we do not get any opportunity to raise the MSP (Minimum Support Price) Act and related issues, we will have no option but to boycott,” a Congress strategist said on the condition of anonymity. Elaram Karim of Communist Party (Marxist) said, ‘We will meet tomorrow to decide the future course. We have received suggestions to boycott the session, but we will have to talk to the parties concerned before arriving at any collective decision.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge will meet other opposition parties on Tuesday morning to discuss the next course of action. A joint statement by 14 political parties, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), said, “The floor leaders of the opposition parties of Rajya Sabha will meet tomorrow to protest against the authoritarian decision to protect parliamentary democracy.” I can consider the future course of action.

At the same time, the ruling TMC in West Bengal will hold a meeting with the Congress. The party did not even attend Monday’s opposition meeting. TMC leaders have expressed grief over the suspension of their party MPs. He termed the action as unconstitutional and said that the accused were not heard before they were suspended. TMC leader Derek O’Brien said, “We will have a meeting on Tuesday morning and we will take a further decision within the parliamentary process.”