Congress asserts INDIA alliance united ahead of crucial Winter session

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament, Congress whip and member of the partys parliamentary strategy group Tamil Nadu MP Manickam Tagore on Sunday asserted that the INDIA alliance remains united and that the Congress is committed to taking other parties along. The session, comprising 15 sittings, is scheduled to begin on 1 December and conclude on 19 December. Speaking to TNIE , the Tamil Nadu MP said the Congress would work in tandem with its INDIA bloc partners and firm up effective floor coordination after the all-party meeting slated for 30 November. Congress is committed to taking other parties along. We dont take any unilateral decisions. We are very clear that floor coordination will be stronger, Tagore said, noting that the bloc has consistently tried to improve its joint strategy in Parliament. We hope it will be issue-based coordination. This time as well, we expect the issues to take centre stage. Tagore added that the Congress and its allies are prepared to present a cohesive front on key matters expected to be raised during the session. The all-party meeting is crucial, said Tagore, adding that it will determine whether the government is willing to discuss the Oppositions demands, particularly the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in nine states and Union Territories, as well as other issues that he said have significantly affected people. What the government is ready to offer is very important, he said. There will be a demand for discussion on the SIR, on vote theft, and on many other matters. Democracy is under attack, and we want the government to be open with the Opposition. He added that the Opposition will attend the all-party meeting with an open mind. The leader said the Opposition wants Parliament to function effectively and insisted that the House must take up issues that require urgent discussion. We want the peoples issues to be discussed, but the governments arrogance is preventing Parliament from running smoothly, he alleged. They are curtailing the number of sitting days. The Prime Minister is not coming to Parliament; he is not answering questions. This is the attitude of the government, and the Parliamentary Affairs Minister is leading this bulldozing approach. He added that in previous sessions as well, the Opposition had been ready for debate. We want Parliament to function, and we are open to discussions. We want to raise the democratic rights of the people, which have been under attack, he said. Tagore noted that the party has always believed in taking everyone along, even though electoral setbacks do occur. Referring to the recent results in Bihar, he said the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was the major partner while Congress played a junior role, and the defeat affected the entire Mahagathbandhan. He attributed part of the setback to alleged unfairness in the process overseen by the Election Commission. There were reasons for the outcome, and this was one of the main concerns, he said, adding that the alliance continues to function as a team. Calling the SIR issue fundamental to the Constitution and the democratic process, Tagore emphasised that the alliance remains united in its fight for justice. The fight for democracy is one of our main issues, he added.