Budget Session’s second leg starts on March 13; confrontation between Opposition and Centre, Dhankhar on cards

The second leg of Budget Session will start on Monday with the Opposition all set for another round of confrontation not just with the government but with Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has opened a new front by continuously attacking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks abroad, too.

The BJP, with one of its MPs demanding Rahul’s ouster from the Lok Sabha in Privileges Committee over his allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will not pipe down its attack on the Congress leader even as the Congress and other Opposition parties are sure to ratchet up pressure to corner the government on Adani Group issue.

Fresh from victory in Tripura and joining government’s in ally-led governments in Meghalaya and Nagaland, the BJP is expected to project it as reaffirmation of people’s will in favour of the ruling party but the Opposition will try to force a reality check on the saffron party saying that it barely made it in Tripura and did not have exemplary performance in other states and bypolls.

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Rajya Sabha is likely to see tense confrontation between Dhankhar and the Opposition over breach of privilege proceedings against 12 MPs from various Opposition parties, notice against AAP’s Sanjay Singh for repeating notices as well as suspension of Rajani Patil, who the Congress has now appointed as its Whip.

Dhankhar’s comments against Rahul for his remarks that mics are switched off when Opposition speaks appeared to have deteriorated the relationship between both the sides with the latter asking him not to be the “cheerleader” of the government.

The second leg would witness the passage of the Budget and discussion on the working of select ministries but it would not be easy days for the government as the Opposition is also planning to raise a string of issues like price rise, misuse of central agencies to target non-NDA leaders and violence on Opposition workers in Tripura after BJP’s return to power. The recent actions against RJD leaders and AAP as well as BRS would have its resonance on the floor of the House.

On top of the agenda for the Opposition, however, would be the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the Adani affair though there is division on the issue with parties like Trinamool Congress favouring a Supreme Court monitored probe. Opposition parties will be meeting at Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s office in Parliament on Monday morning to fine tune the strategy which Trinamool Congress will skip.

Every eye will be on the ‘chemistry’ within the Opposition with just one year away from Lok Sabha elections with BRS, AAP and Trinamool Congress attacking the Congress, which also fires in return. So far, parties have not brought the acrimony outside into Parliament but bypoll defeat at the hands of Congress-Left combine had irked Trinamool while BRS and AAP also have not held their attack on Congress.