SIR and BLO suicides are part of the opposition's arsenal as Parliament's winter session gets underway.

Parliament Winter Session to begin today

The Winter Session of Parliament begins today, with the government set to push through an extensive legislative agenda that includes 14 Bills. The session comes amid heightened tensions between the ruling NDA and the Opposition, with the latter demanding debates on issues such as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the recent suicides of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and national security concerns following the Delhi car blast.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasised that the House will function as per established rules, while Congress, DMK and other parties accused the government of “curtailing democracy” by reducing the session to just 15 sittings, down from the usual 20.

Key bills expected to be tabled include the Atomic Energy Bill, which seeks to regulate atomic energy while enabling private sector participation, the Higher Education Commission of India Bill, and proposals to levy excise duty and cess on tobacco products and pan masala.

Opposition parties are pressing for discussions on price rise, unemployment, federalism, and delays in passing state legislature bills. They also intend to debate the recently passed Labour Codes, economic security, air pollution, and India’s foreign policy.

The government, meanwhile, is promoting discussions on the 150th anniversary of the composition of Vande Mataram, though most Opposition parties expressed little interest in the proposal during all-party meetings. The Lok Sabha has earmarked 10 hours for the discussion, with the date to be decided by Speaker Om Birla.

This Winter Session, the first after the NDA’s emphatic Bihar Assembly victory, is expected to be closely watched as both sides seek to project their political strengths in Parliament .