BJP tells its MPs to come prepared to take on opposition in Parliament

MPs were also asked to ensure higher attendance in the house

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R Chalking out a strategy for the Winter Session of Parliament, the BJP in its parliamentary party meeting on Sunday stressed on higher attendance of its MPs and asked them to come prepared to take on the opposition, sources said on Sunday.

Even in the NDA meeting, held a day before the session begins, allies stressed on the need for better coordination among all partners of the ruling alliance. Few constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) also thanked the government for its decision to repeal the three farm laws, which triggered a year of protests by farmers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who usually attends these meetings, did not attend any of them.

The BJP's parliamentary party meeting was chaired by its president J P Nadda and attended by Union ministers Rajnath Singh, who is also deputy leader for Lok Sabha, Piyush Goyal, who is also leader for Rajya Sabha, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.Besides them Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, Bhupender Yadav and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi were also present at the meeting.

The NDA meeting was attended by the floor leaders of various allies including Rajiv Ranjan Singh of the JD(U), Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal (S), Agatha Sangma of the NPP, A Navaneethakrishnan of the AIADMK and Pashupati Paras of the RLJP.

During both meetings, Joshi updated all whips about the legislative business of the government and the expected issues which could be raised by the opposition, the sources said.

He said it is important that the ruling party, BJP, comes well-prepared for debate and discussion on multiple issues, they said.

Most of the NDA allies echoed BJP's sentiment for better coordination and higher attendance to ensure a smooth winter session for the cruling side.

Apna Dal (S) leader and Union Minister Anupriya Patel raised the issue of 69,000 teacher vacancies in Uttar Pradesh and urged that the state government to follow guidelines issued by the OBC commission for recruitment of candidates from the backward category, party leader Ashish Patel told PTI.

He said the Apna Dal also thanked the Union government for repealing the three farm laws.

NPP leader Agatha Sangma urged the government to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on lines of the decision to repeal the three farm laws, keeping in mind the sentiments of the people from north-east.

Emphasising on the need for higher attendance in both houses by all BJP MPs during the session, Nadda said attendance is important to not allow the opposition to dominate proceedings in either house on crucial issues.

The BJP president underlined that party MPs must come well prepared on all important issues which the opposition is expected to raise, the sources said.

Nadda also told party MPs to highlight the good work done by the Modi government, especially in the difficult Covid times, they said.

The BJP-led NDA government is expected to come under attack from the opposition on the farm laws, for which the government has listed a bill for repeal on the first day of the session.