National

Speaker to meet NDA leaders

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee will begin consultations with leaders of political parties on Friday just before the start of the budget session of Parliament on Monday.

The first meeting will be with leaders of the National Democratic Alliance parties. It will be followed by dinner hosted by the Speaker. There is no specific agenda except a statement expressing his expectation of cooperation from all sections of the House to ensure a smooth run of the session.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has already indicated that it will raise several issues during discussions on the motion of thanks to the President following her address to a joint sitting of both Houses and during the debates on the general and Railway budgets.

Mr. Chatterjee has invited leaders of non-Congress and non-NDA parties to a meeting followed by lunch on Saturday.

The Left parties, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and several UPA constituents have been invited. The same evening the Speaker will have a meeting with Congress leaders. It will be followed by dinner.

The Speaker has called a meeting of all-party leaders at the Parliament House Library building for Sunday. He will host lunch that day also.

It is customary for party leaders to spell out their priorities and tell the Speaker what issues they would like to raise. The first part of the budget session will be packed with the government’s financial business, leaving little room for other issues.

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