The second half of Parliament’s budget session is set to get off to a roaring start on Monday, with the Lok Sabha scheduled to pass an opposition-backed resolution demanding the removal of Speaker Om Birla.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia is also likely to be prominent, with the opposition already attacking the government over, among other things, its stance on Iran, the US “exception” on buying Russian oil in India.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will make a statement in the Lok Sabha on the “Situation in West Asia”, according to the revised list of business of the House of Commons for March 9 circulated on Sunday evening.
Besides, the outcome of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, which led to the erasure of nearly 60 million votes, is expected to cast its shadow over the parliamentary proceedings.
The opposition is also likely to raise questions about the interim trade deal between India and the US following the US Supreme Court’s ruling against tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
The second part of the budget meeting will focus on grant requests for various ministries for 2026-27 and the passage of the Finance Bill 2026, which contains all the tax proposals presented in the Union Budget on February 1.
Both Houses of Parliament will also debate the work and grant requirements of the five ministries.
The no-confidence motion against Birla was passed by several opposition leaders who alleged that he had acted in an “unabashedly partisan” manner in the House.
They also accused the speaker of making certain false allegations against Congress members when he talked about some “unexpected action” in the Lok Sabha and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come to the House to reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s speech.
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Birla recused himself from the proceedings of the House from the day the notice was given, with the Lok Sabha Secretariat saying he would return only after the agenda was settled.
Prime Minister Modi on Saturday supported Birla saying that he has taken all MPs with him and is committed to the principles of the Constitution and parliamentary democracy.
In addition to the no-confidence motion, the session is likely to feature US-Israeli strikes on Iran and rising tensions in West Asia that have led to oil supply disruptions and rising prices. The opposition is expected to question the government’s policy on the matter.
TMC MLAs are set to raise the SIR issue in the House, while the BJP may take up the issue of President Droupadi Murma’s “breach of protocol” during her visit to West Bengal on Saturday.
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The government is also expected to pilot the Electricity Bill for the remainder of the budget session, apart from dealing with other pending legislative matters from the first half of the session.
According to Monday’s agenda, a resolution against the speaker and a statement by External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on the situation in West Asia as items raised in the current Lok Sabha proceedings.
Both the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress have sent whips to their respective Lok Sabha MPs to be present in the House when the matter comes up for consideration.
The opposition parties will also hold a strategy meeting on Monday at 10:00 am in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.
The numbers are heavily stacked in the government’s favor to ensure that the resolution is defeated.
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The Congress called for a discussion on the notification submitted by 118 MPs. The Trinamool Congress also said it would support the resolution against Birla.
The Lok Sabha may not go into question hour between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm on Monday as it may be adjourned to pay respects to sitting member from Shillong Ricky Syngkon, who died on February 19.
Three Lok Sabha Speakers – GV Mavlankar (1954), Hukam Singh (1966) and Balram Jakhar (1987) – have faced no-confidence motions in the past, which were negative.
