Opposition Claims Monsoon Session Success, Says Five Bills Deferred Due to Its Pressure

The opposition parties, led by the Congress, have described the recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament as a “grand success,” asserting that their united front compelled the government to defer five pieces of legislation which they described as dangerous for the country. The most significant among these, they said, was the bill on delimitation, a process of redrawing parliamentary constituencies.

Addressing the media on Saturday, Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh and party MP Gaurav Gogoi said the government was forced to postpone the bills due to the opposition’s pressure. The other bills include the “one nation, one election” legislation, the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill concerning automatic dismissal of jailed chief ministers and ministers, the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) amendment, and the proposed Viksit Bharat Shikshan Adhishthan.

Ramesh said the Tamil Nadu assembly’s resolution against delimitation, which was supported by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), had “smashed the lies” spread by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that it was close to gaining new allies for the controversial measure. “The TN resolution is a big setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. No matter how much they try, they will never get the majority for delimitation,” he claimed.

Delimitation is the process of redrawing the boundaries of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies based on population. Southern states, including Tamil Nadu, fear that a population-based redrawing would reduce their parliamentary representation. The Tamil Nadu assembly had recently passed a resolution urging the Centre not to undertake delimitation until a comprehensive view on fair representation is adopted.

Ramesh warned that the opposition could not afford to be complacent, noting that the BJP had “unlimited resources” and would attempt new “mischief.” He drew a parallel with the 2015 washout of Parliament over the Vyapam scam, saying, “It proved nothing had improved for the youth.”

Gogoi expressed concern over the passage of the Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill and the National Cooperative Development Corporation Bill, stating that some states would challenge the mines bill in court. The opposition also sought to highlight the government’s alleged diversion of temple funds during the session, with Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav saying the insistence on a discussion on “chanda chori” was to show how temple donations were being “looted” under the BJP.

DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan alleged that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister avoided Parliament because they were “afraid” of being caught. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said, “This session belonged to the opposition. This was a win for the students and youth.”

The monsoon session, which ran from July 20 to August 11, was marked by repeated adjournments as opposition parties pressed for discussions on issues such as the Manipur violence and alleged misuse of agencies. The opposition has been trying to forge a united front ahead of the 2024 general elections, and the session was seen as a test of their cohesion.

The Congress has convened a meeting of its highest decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), on August 19 to discuss future political strategies in the wake of the session.

The opposition’s claims come amid a larger political contest over the legislative agenda. The government has not yet formally responded to the opposition’s characterisation of the session. However, treasury benches had earlier maintained that several bills were deferred due to parliamentary procedures and the need for wider consultation.