Parliament's winter session likely to be short due to Gujarat polls

The winter session of Parliament is likely to be a curtailed affair as most MPs would be busy campaigning for the Gujarat assembly polls to be held in two phases in December.

While a final call is yet to be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, two senior government functionaries said the session could be held in November end and may last a week or ten days.

The date of the meeting of the CCPA headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh has not yet been finalised, they said.

The Gujarat elections will be held on December 9 and 14 and the counting of votes will take place on December 18 together with Himachal Pradesh, which goes to poll on November 9.

The winter session is usually held from the middle of November till the third week of December.

"It is already November 2. We still don't have the dates for Parliament. I am hoping Parliament to start either on November 20 or 21. Why the government is so cagey about announcing the dates.

"It may be a good idea to make a Parliament calendar at the top of the year. Why are they playing games before announcing the dates," TMC leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien told PTI.

The CPI's D Raja deplored any attempt by the government to have a short session.

"The government has not yet communicated formally to us. Shortening of winter session is not right. Our Parliament is not even sitting for a minimum of 100 working days in a year. Elections are happening in the states but it cannot be the reason to shorten the winter session", Raja, CPI leader in the Rajya Sabha, said.