A day before the Winter Session of Parliament begins, Opposition parties presented a united stance at an all-party meeting on Sunday, demanding discussions on a range of key issues. At the centre of their demands were the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway in 12 states and Union Territories and the recent blast in Delhi, raised in the context of national security. The meeting took place just hours before the Business Advisory Committees (BAC) of both Houses met to finalise the legislative business for the session, which begins on Monday.
Opposition Seeks Debate On SIR
The all-party meeting was convened by the Government of India and chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. During the discussion, Opposition parties called for debates in Parliament on air pollution, the Delhi blast, SIR, and matters related to foreign policy. However, the government signalled that a discussion on SIR itself may not be possible, arguing it is an administrative exercise being conducted by the Election Commission, an autonomous body, and therefore the government cannot respond on its behalf.
Despite this, sources in the Opposition said the parties remained united in pushing for a discussion on the revision of the electoral rolls. The Election Commission on Sunday extended the deadline for electors to submit enumeration forms for the SIR from December 4 to December 11. Sources also stated that the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which is not part of the Opposition bloc, also called for a debate on electoral transparency.
“Government Non-Committal”
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “The all-party meeting called by the Modi Govt to discuss the agenda for the winter session of Parliament starting tomorrow is a mere formality. This session of 15 days will be the shortest in Parliamentary history. The Modi Govt has listed 13 Bills for passage. Of these one replaces an ordinance and two have gone through a committee of the Lok Sabha. So ten Bills have not been examined by the Standing Committee concerned. Of course, it is possible that a Bill not listed at present will suddenly get introduced towards the later part of the short session.”
He added, “The Modi Govt has made its intentions clear by listing a subject for a short duration discussion WITHOUT any consultation with the Opposition.”
The all-party meeting called by the Modi Govt to discuss the agenda for the winter session of Parliament starting tomorrow is a mere formality.
This session of 15 days will be the shortest in Parliamentary history. The Modi Govt has listed 13 Bills for passage. Of these one…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 30, 2025
The government side was represented by Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, and Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. Also present was Leader of the Rajya Sabha and Health Minister J P Nadda. A total of 50 leaders from 36 political parties attended the meeting. Opposition sources said there was no commitment from the government on scheduling a discussion on SIR: “They listened patiently but did not say anything,” a senior Opposition leader said.
Opposition parties are expected to meet again on Monday morning to fine-tune their floor strategy. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has convened the meeting, but it is unclear if parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will attend.
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