BJP issues 3-line whip to party MPs for Saturday
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a three-line whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, asking them to be present in both Houses on Saturday. The whip, issued by the BJP Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha, Laxmikant Bajpai, mentions that "some important legislative business" will be discussed in the Houses.
Last day of Budget Session on Saturday
While the reason for the whip was not stated, it is worth noting that Saturday is the last day of the Budget Session before the Lok Sabha polls. The session, which was initially scheduled to conclude on Friday, was extended to Saturday "to provide sufficient time for the completion of essential items of government business." There will be no "Question Hour" on Saturday.
Rajya Sabha session also extended
In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also extended the session by one day. Normally, Parliament sessions don't convene on weekends, but an exception has been made this time. The decision came amid speculation that the Narendra Modi-led government may present a "white paper" on the economy. Contrary to expectations, the white paper was released on Thursday.
Check out the whip here
Finance Minister Sitharaman releases 'white paper'
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the "white paper" in the Lok Sabha. Calling it a "lost decade," the paper said that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government caused a "mountain of bad loans" and "double-digit inflation" before the Modi-led administration took over. According to the white paper, the UPA government "failed miserably to facilitate economic activities," creating obstacles that hindered economic growth.
Rajya Sabha elections on February 27
The Lok Sabha elections will be preceded by the Rajya Sabha elections for 56 seats across 15 states on February 27. Polling will be held from 9:00am to 4:00pm and votes will be counted on the same day. The last date for filing nomination papers is February 15. Uttar Pradesh has the most seats (10), followed by Bihar and Maharashtra (six seats each).