The Monsoon Session of the Parliament begins on Monday, which is expected to be stormy with the government looking to secure the passage of several key bills, while the opposition looks to corner the Centre over multiple issues such as the Ram Temple donation theft case, the NEET paper leak, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests, E20 petrol and delimitation.
The government has urged opposition parties to ensure a smooth functioning of the Parliament for the country's development. It said the opposition must look for positive discussions and support the eight bills that are listed for discussion.
"People of the country want Parliament to function smoothly. We also want this. By protesting, no one is going to benefit politically. That is why I request members of all political parties to take part in the proceedings wholeheartedly," Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said following an all-party meeting that was attended by 58 leaders from 40 political parties.
Will govt push for Delimitation Bill?
With the National Democratic Alliance's strength in the Parliament rising following a split in Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), speculations are rife that the government may once again introduce the Delimitation Bill, which has been constantly criticised by the opposition, stating that southern states could lose their representation.
However, Rijiju has clarified that the government will likely introduce the contentious bill this session. Though he said that if the Centre decides to bring additional bills, it would discuss them in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) first, and the opposition would be apprised.
Uddhav Sena, TMC rebellion and DMK in focus
A lot of focus is also on the Sena UBT, the TMC, and MK Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Of UBT's nine Lok Sabha members, six have switched to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, increasing its strength to 13. Similarly, 20 of the 28 TMC Lok Sabha members have joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) following the party's loss in the 2026 West Bengal elections and have extended their support to the NDA.
The NCPI leaders also participated in Sunday's all-party meeting, a move that was criticised by opposition parties. However, Rijiju said NCPI cannot be ignored and it has requested recognition from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Coming to the DMK, the party's alliance with Congress has ended after the latter joined hands with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) after the 2026 assembly polls. Speculations are rife that the DMK could join the NDA or support the Delimitation Bill if introduced again and the Dravidian party has also kept everyone guessing about its next move.
Ram Temple row, NEET, E20 and more
The opposition would also seek the government's reply on the Ram Temple donation theft case, the NEET paper leak and the subsequent re-examination, E20 and fuel rates, and the price hike. The government would be defending its handling of the NEET paper leak and its stance on the E20 issue.
However, the Ram Temple issue is being probed by an SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government; thus, it would be interesting how the Centre responds to the matter. It is worth mentioning here that the SIT has submitted its status report to the Supreme Court, which will also hear the matter on Monday.
The Parliament Monsoon Session will begin on Monday and will conclude on August 13.
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