Monsoon session from today, BJP set to corner UPA

New Delhi: The month-long Monsoon session of Parliament will begin on Wednesday. The Opposition is all set to corner the government on a range of issues. On Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to move for a suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the Kokrajhar violence.

P Chidambaram may have had a change of ministry, but the Opposition is not willing to have a change of heart in dealing with him in Parliament. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, earlier boycotted by the BJP during the winter session, will face the heat on the Aircel-Maxis deal during the month-long Monsoon session.

The BJP wants discussion on a host of issues from the ethnic violence in Kokrajhar to the drought situation in the country to coalgate to the spectrum allocation. They would want the UPA government to clear its stand on FDI in retail. On Left's agenda is also the Food Security Bill and the attack on workers during the violence at the Maruti plant in Manesar.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said, "Hope they let the House function normally."

The government hopes to take up 31 bills for passage in the Monsoon session. Of these, the finance related bills are The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill, and the Companies Bill.

The controversial Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill will also be taken up for passing.

The Lokpal Bill, which has been referred to a Rajya Sabha select committee, is unlikely to come up in this session.

This session will be a test for the new leader of the House, Sushil Kumar Shinde, who has replaced Pranab Mukherjee, who was the chief troubleshooter for the UPA for eight long years. With the TMC making it clear that they will oppose anything on FDI or opening up of the pension sector to foreign investment and other friends of the government too opposing FDI openly, Shinde clearly has tough road ahead.

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