Post by : Badri Ariffin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday set the tone for a potentially charged Winter Session of Parliament, calling the recent Bihar election turnout a powerful reminder of India’s democratic strength. Speaking before the session began, he praised the heavy participation of women voters and said India had “lived democracy and strengthened faith in it”.

At the same time, PM Modi delivered a pointed message to the Opposition, which is still reeling from its major defeat in the Bihar assembly elections. Without naming parties, he advised Opposition leaders to avoid unnecessary theatrics in the House and “deliver instead of doing drama”. He said he expected leaders to have moved past the Bihar setback by now, but their recent remarks showed the results had “unsettled” them.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance swept the Bihar polls with 202 of 243 seats, while the Congress-led INDIA bloc managed just 35. PM Modi said the victory must not be allowed to breed arrogance in the ruling alliance, and Parliament should focus on serious legislative work.

The Winter Session, which runs till December 19, is expected to see turbulence over the Opposition’s demand for a debate on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In three key meetings held on Sunday—the all-party meet and the Business Advisory Committee meetings of both Houses—Opposition members insisted the session could not proceed smoothly without a discussion on SIR. Some warned that the government would be responsible if the House failed to function.

However, after the all-party meeting, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said no party openly threatened to disrupt proceedings. He added that the government was committed to keeping the House running and stressed that disagreements should not affect productivity.

Meanwhile, the government has lined up 10 new bills for introduction and scheduled a discussion marking 150 years of Vande Mataram. With both sides standing firm on their positions, the opening day signalled that the session may witness heated exchanges, even as calls for restraint and cooperation continue.

#Global News