Parliament session LIVE Updates: Ever since the second half of the Budeget session commenced from March 5, the Parliament has been adjourned over vociferous protests from the opposition parties.
The notice for a no-confidence motion, that was moved by Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress, may finally be taken up in the Parliament on Tuesday after the TRS said that it would cease protests in both the Houses over its demand for reservations. The Congress, which had been supporting the TDP and YSR Congress notices for moving a motion of no-confidence against the government, has itself given notice for Tuesday. CPM group leader P Karunakaran has also moved a similar notice.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has maintained that even though she was “duty-bound” to take up the notice, she could not move forward and count the number of people backing the notice because the House was not in order. Ever since the second half of the Budget session commenced from March 5, the Parliament has been adjourned over vociferous protests from the opposition parties over a range of issues like Punjab National Bank scam, Cauvery water board and Andhra Pradesh special category status. Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday hinted that if Parliament did not take up the no-confidence motion then he would ask his party MPs to resign. A similar signal was also sent out by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, whose TDP has 15 MPs.
Lok Sabha adjourned till noon after protests from opposition parties. The House, which convened at 11 am, was adjourned after just 2 minutes.
The TDP MPs continued with their protest in the Parliament, demanding special category status for the state as promised in the AP Reorganisation Act. AIADMK MPs were also seen raising slogans, seeking constitution of the Cauvery water board.
TDP MPs protest in Parliament on Tuesday. (Express photo by Praveen Jain)
The bills to be taken up for consideration and passing in the Rajya Sabha are - The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013; Finance Bill, 2018; Appropriation Bill; The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017. The passage of the Finance Bill, 2018 in the Lok Sabha saw much drama and it was done without discussion. The appropriation bill, that details spendings in various departments, was also passed in the lower house amid protests by opposition.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in Delhi today and will attend a dinner hosted by NCP chief Sharad Pawar to discuss on putting up an anti-BJP front for the next Lok Sabha elections. The TMC supremo is also likely to call on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and it remains to be seen if the visit serves as an ice-breaker between the two parties, especially after Banerjee skipped the dinner that was hosted by the UPA chief earlier this month. Mamata is also scheduled to visit Parliament on Tuesday and hold meetings with her party MPs.
Welcome to our Parliament Budget session live blog. The Parliament session has been a complete washout and with only 10 days to go for the Budget session, the government will look to push important legislations. Moreover, with TRS deciding to do away with protests, the no-confidence motion moved by TDP and YSR Congress may be taken up. The Congress to has listed a notice for moving a motion of no-confidence against the government. However, the government has the requisite strength in Lok Sabha to sail through.