Rajeev Satav, Congress’ only debutant MP from Maharashtra, was overwhelmed when he entered Parliament for the first time. He took over a year just to learn the rules, procedures and processes of Parliament and get into a rhythm. Satav had been an MLA from Kalamnuri, but was now representing Hingoli in Lok Sabha.
“I was trying hard to grasp things around me. Initially, it was difficult but I found my rhythm after a year,” said Satav.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat and its workshops for first time members helped him a lot. Some pithy advice given by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar also came in handy. “Pawar saheb told me, ‘You’re lucky. Since you’re in the Opposition, you will get a lot of opportunity to prove your competence. There is a lot of scope for you if you study your issues well,’” he recalls.
Five years since his debut, Satav’s performance has received appreciation from government ministers and senior members, even beyond party lines. And he has learnt quickly. “Today I know you can’t say an MP is lying; that is unparliamentary. But you can say it’s an untruth, or the material refered to is unverified,” he says.
He also has a dedicated team of research assistants working for him, who help him pick questions, draft bills, and track his work.
“I sent self-evaluation reports to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, and I received letters of appreciation from her on two occasions. It was very encouraging. I was also appreciated by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and senior minister Nitin Gadkari in the House. That gave me a lot of self-belief,” he says.
Attendance: 81%No. of debates: 205No. of questions asked: 1,115Private Member’s Bills: 23
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