NDA focuses on president's address, floor unity; speaker's name to be announced soon

BJP is gearing up for the upcoming Parliament session by engaging in a consensus-building exercise with its allies over the content of the President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been holding meetings with constituents of BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

Incidentally, more such meetings between NDA leaders are likely to be a regular feature in future. A mechanism is being developed for better coordination among allies with Rajnath Singh playing a key role in this endeavour, sources said.

At these meetings held at Singh's house, the deliberations revolved mostly around the President's address and taking NDA allies on board over the content of the address. Emphasis was also laid on ensuring better floor coordination among allies to present a united face while taking on the Opposition in Parliament, sources said.


In the previous 17th Lok Sabha also, Singh had headed the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA). On behalf of the government, he was the one who reached out to the Opposition to end the logjam then as well.

BJP has also been engaging with its allies to take them on board for finalising its candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post. The party will soon announce its leader in the Rajya Sabha as Piyush Goyal got elected as Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtra. There are talks that Union health minister JP Nadda may be the leader of House in the Rajya Sabha.

On Monday night, Nadda along with Union home minister Amit Shah, went to the residence of the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha Om Prakash Birla. In the next few days, BJP's parliamentary board will finalise name for the Speaker's post after consultations with allies.