New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in five states later this year, the government has scheduled a Special Session of Parliament, which will take place from September 18 to 22.
The Special Session will have a total of five sittings of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Pralhad Joshi, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce the information.
“Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) is being called from 18th to 22nd September having 5 sittings. Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament,” Joshi posted on X.
Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) is being called from 18th to 22nd September having 5 sittings. Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to have fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament.
ಸಂಸತ್ತಿನ ವಿಶೇಷ ಅಧಿವೇಶನವನ್ನು… pic.twitter.com/k5J2PA1wv2
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) August 31, 2023
The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise, as the winter session of Parliament usually begins in the last week of November.
The Nationalist Congress Party’s working president and MP, Supriya Sule, expressed her criticism on X. She called for the rescheduling of the session as it coincides with Ganesh Chaturthi, a major festival in Maharashtra.
“Just read about the upcoming Special Parliament Session (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha & 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) happening from Sep 18-22. Whilst we all look forward towards meaningful discussions and dialogue, the dates coincide with the Ganpati Festival, a major festival in Maharashtra. Urging the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister to take the above into consideration,” Sule said.
Just read about the upcoming Special Parliament Session (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha & 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) happening from Sep 18-22.
Whilst we all look forward towards meaningful discussions and dialogue, the dates coincide with the Ganpati Festival, a major…
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) August 31, 2023
Monsoon Session:
The Monsoon Session of Parliament, held in the old building, concluded last month after passing 23 bills. Throughout the proceedings, the opposition expressed its discontent through protests, particularly concerning issues like the Manipur violence and the controversial Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Notably, a three-day debate on a ‘no confidence’ motion presented jointly by Congress and Telangana’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on the Manipur violence issue marked a significant session highlight.