Polls may lead to a shortened winter session

Five states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram — will go to assembly polls between November 7 and 30

The winter session of Parliament—the last full session before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections—might be a shorter one, officials indicated on Monday.

While the Centre has not finalised any schedule for winter session, a possible window lies in last week of November, say officials. (AP)

Five states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram — will go to assembly polls between November 7 and 30, in which key political parties including the BJP and the Congress have major stakes. While the government has not finalised any schedule for the winter session, a possible window lies in the last week of November, two officials said, requesting anonymity.

“The polling in Mizoram (November 7), Madhya Pradesh (November 17), Chhattisgarh (November 7 and 17) and the Rajasthan election (November 25) would be over by the third week of November,” said the first official. “This gives us an opportunity for the session to start in the last week of November and finish it before Christmas.”

The winter session can also start after the Telangana poll on November 30, another official said. The counting of the five state polls will be held on December 3. The winter session of Parliament typically lasts a month.

While both of Houses of Parliament have already met three times for the budget, monsoon and the special session, leaders maintain that the winter session would be important as the government would be keen to pass the three bills to replace the Indian Penal code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Evidence Act.

“These three bills are important for the ruling dispensation and the winter session is virtually the last chance to pass the legislation. The pre-election budget session will have a limited business of the President’s speech and the approval of the vote on account,” a leader said on condition of anonymity.

If the bills lapse, the ruling dispensation will have to return to power and then introduce the draft laws in the 18th Lok Sabha.

Last month, the four-day special session of Parliament, which passed the women reservation bill, turned out to be one of the top-performing sessions in the recent past in terms of utilisation of time and debates.

Adjourning the House on September 21, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the productivity of the session was 132% and the proceedings lasted 31 hours. “This session will be recorded as a historic session in parliamentary history as Parliament started its journey from the new building during this session,” he said.

In the short but impactful session, lawmakers of both Houses held a discussion in the old building on the 75 years of Parliament. On September 19, a special programme was arranged at the Central Hall before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other lawmakers walked down from the old building to the new one in the same complex.