India Convenes All-Party Meeting Ahead of Monsoon Session

Kiren Rijiju, the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, convened an all-party meeting on July 19 at the Parliament House Annexe in New Delhi. The meeting sought to ensure the smooth functioning of the Monsoon Session, which runs from July 20 to August 13 and consists of 19 sittings. President Droupadi Murmu approved the summoning of both Houses to debate matters of national importance.

The session is expected to be contentious due to internal opposition fractures and several high-profile disputes. Rijiju invited Sudip Bandyopadhyay and 19 other rebel Trinamool Congress MPs who joined the National Citizens Party of India and are seeking formal recognition from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Additionally, the Samajwadi Party has vowed to disrupt proceedings over alleged embezzlement of donations for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and there are planned disputes regarding the NEET-UG paper leak and the removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from a protest site.

Legislative priorities include the One Nation, One Election Bill and the 130th and 131st Constitution Amendment Bills. The government also listed five new bills, including legislation to penalize disruptions during the singing of Vande Mataram and a proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38. Meanwhile, Speaker Om Birla is expected to rule on the merger of rebel MPs from the Trinamool Congress and Uddhav Sena.