Voter ID issue set to rock House as session resumes

The stage is set for a renewed showdown between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition in Parliament as the second half of the Budget session resumes on Monday, with the two sides likely to spar over the latter’s allegations of duplicate Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers, the looming threat of US tariffs on India, the political furore over the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies,as well as the vexed amendments to the Waqf Bill.

The government is also set to move a motion to approve the proclamation of President’s rule in Manipur and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman scheduled to present the budget of the Manipur assembly, which is under suspended animation.

The Narendra Modi-led NDA government will also look to push through a raft of bills, said people aware of the matter.

The Opposition, meanwhile, will try and use the floor to flag its concerns over the ongoing violence in Manipur, where the administration’s attempts to restore free travel have been hobbled by fresh clashes.

This will be the first session of Parliament since former chief minister N Biren Singh stepped down in February.

The first half of the session, which was held from January 31 to February 13, was initially a smooth affair, but was later eclipsed by protests over Union home minister Amit Shah’s comment on Dr BR Ambedkar.

To be sure, the first half was predominantly occupied by constitutional obligations, such as the President’s speech and a debate that follows it, apart from the presentation of the Union Budget and its passage.

The second part, which will continue till April 4, is likely to feature more legislative business and key discussions.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has cautioned parties against “planned disruptions”.

Speaking at an event in Jaipur on Saturday, Birla said, “Consensus and dissent are the strengths of democracy, but planned disruption in Assemblies and Parliament are detrimental to democratic values.”

The NDA government is yet to disclose its plan for the second half of the budget session but functionaries expect that it will introduce the Waqf (Amendment) Bill early as the contentious legislation might see major upheaval and take some time to pass.

Opposition parties continue to oppose the Bill, even as some of the amendments proposed by the Joint Parliamentary Committee have toned down some of the controversial provisions.

For instance, though the initial bill did away with the “waqf by user” provision, a proposed amendment said the provision will not apply retrospectively.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) lawmakers on Sunday resolved to work towards ensuring Tamil Nadu’s rights in the upcoming delimitation, saying the population-based exercise will affect not just southern states but eastern states including Odisha and West Bengal.

DMK MPs held a meeting under party president and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin in Chennai.

At the heart of the spiralling controversy is the issue of delimitation – originally scheduled for 2026 – which redefines the number of representatives a state sends to the Lok Sabha on the basis of population. A 2019 analysis by Milan Vaishnaw and Jamie Hintson of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, projected that such an exercise could see the overall strength of the Lok Sabha rising to 668, with Uttar Pradesh alone seeing its tally increase from the current 80 to 143 by 2026. In contrast, Tamil Nadu, which currently sends 39 representatives, could see the number rise to just 49. Kerala, which sends 20, would see no change at all.

The government has sought to allay fears, saying southern states will get a fair share of seats in the delimitation exercise.

In the Rajya Sabha, Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will move amendments to the Railways Act for passage.

Vice president and Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar is being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and officials said it is unclear if he will be able to attend proceedings on Monday.

In the event of his absence, deputy chairperson Harivansh and the panel of presiding officers will preside over the Rajya Sabha proceedings.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur said, “The parliament session will be very productive, and there will be a discussion on a lot of issues. The MPs get a chance to raise the issues of their respective constituencies and nation.”

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said, “We’ll take up all the demands for grants and we’ll debate the Finance Bill. There are many points we want to raise on the various ministries and their functioning and budget allocation for the various ministries. I’m looking forward to a very healthy and productive parliament session.”