A united opposition on Sunday pushed for a discussion on SIR, an issue that had virtually washed out the last session, while the government remained uncommittal to its demand, raising the possibility of disruption over an already shortened winter session of Parliament.
Congress and a number of other opposition parties sought discussion on a number of other topics at an all-party meeting presided over by defense minister Rajnath Singh, including rising air pollution and national security in the wake of the Delhi explosion. However, the nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls became their focal point.
As the 19-day session encompassing 15 sittings gets underway on Monday, Ram Gopal Yadav of SP, whose delegation of 37 Lok Sabha members is the second largest in the opposition, sends out a menacing message.
He said that some booth-level officials committed themselves as a result of stress and that the examination of rolls is tainted by anomalies.
"We will not allow Parliament to function if a discussion is not held on SIR," he declared. He alleged that because a specific group of voters is being removed from the records, many SP legislators, including himself, have been placed in "C category" (requiring additional documentation).
Kiren Rijiju, the minister of parliamentary affairs, promised the opposition that he would consult with important government officials before responding to their request, but he did not offer any guarantees.
In the previous session, Rijiju had rejected the opposition's request for a discussion on SIR by citing a judgment made by then-LS Speaker Balram Jakhar in 1988, when Congress was in power, stating that the House could not review Election Commission decisions and operations.
With the exception of a discussion on Operation Sindoor, the opposition's protest had disrupted LS and Rajya Sabha sessions.
Sanjay Jha, a JDU working president and BJP ally, ridiculed the opposition's case against SIR at the meeting on Sunday by pointing out that no voter or political party filed an official complaint, and the opposition's tough stance didn't make much of an impression in Bihar, the first state where it was implemented.
The government presented 14 items from its provisional agenda, including 13 laws, and asked the opposition for support during the meeting, which was attended by 50 delegates from 36 parties.
Rijiju expressed the government's interest in talking about Vande Mataram, the national song whose 150th anniversary the BJP-led NDA recently commemorated with great enthusiasm.
Later, Congress convened a strategic meeting of its top leaders. According to sources, the party was taking a stance that the demand for a SIR discussion could not be compromised.
The impasse persisted in LS and RS business advisory sessions, where government and opposition officials set the agenda for Parliament.
In order to circumvent the government's reluctance to discuss SIR, some opposition members, such as John Brittas of the CPM, proposed a brief discussion on electoral changes, which might also address the ongoing exercise in 12 states and UTs.
