Monsoon Session: Cong seeks deputy Speaker’s post; JD(U), YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar, AP in all-party meet  

The all-party meet called by the government on July 21 ahead of the Monsoon Session saw Congress reiterate its demand of Deputy Speaker’s position for the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The party also raised the issue of question paper leaks, including the NEET issue during the meeting.  

Party leader Gaurav Gogoi said the Opposition should be allowed to raise issues in Parliament after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju sought cooperation from every party for the smooth running of the two Houses. 

Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav raised the issue of the Uttar Pradesh government’s controversial directive to eateries on the kanwar routes to display the owners’ names. 

The YSR Congress spoke about the TDP government’s alleged targeting of its leaders in Andhra Pradesh and sought the Centre’s intervention. 

The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and was convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju. 

Separately, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that in the all-party meeting, the JD(U) and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively but “strangely” TDP kept quiet on the matter, PTI reported. 

In a post on X (formally Twitter), Ramesh, who was present at the meeting, wrote, “In today's all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the JD(U) leader demanded special category status of Bihar. The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter.” 

JD(U), a key ally in the ruling NDA had recently passed a resolution demanding special category status or package for Bihar.  

Though leaders from Andhra Pradesh had been demanding special category status for the state, the demand has again gained momentum post Lok Sabha polls.  

In another post, the Congress leader wrote, “How the political climate has changed! In the all-party meeting of floor leaders, the BJD leader reminded the Defence Minister and BJP President JP Nadda that the BJP's manifesto for the 2014 assembly elections in Odisha had promised special category status to the state.” 

His posts came when the meeting was still underway.  

BJD leader Sasmit Patra told reporters that his party demanded special category status for Odisha. 

BJP president J P Nadda, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan were among the leaders, who attended the meet. 

Defence Minister Singh and Rijiju put forth the government’s view at the customary meet. 

Besides, Congress’s Ramesh and K Suresh, as also Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM, RJD’s Abhay Kushwaha, JD(U) Sanjay Jha, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, SP leader Ramgopal Yadav and NCP’s Praful Patel were present at the customary meet. 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on July 23 at 11am during the Monsoon Session, which will commence on July 22. Sitharaman will table the Economic Survey in Parliament on July 22.  

A united Opposition is geared up to corner the NDA government on issues ranging from the NEET paper leak case to railway safety. 

The session will have 19 sittings till August 12 when the government is expected to present six bills, including the one to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act, and also get Parliament's nod for the budget of Jammu and Kashmir, which is under central rule.