NEW DELHI:  The ruling NDA is likely to be on the backfoot during the winter session of Parliament with the first sign of trouble coming up during the NDA coordination meeting on Sunday when ally National People’s Party sought withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

NPP leader Agatha Sangma told reporters that the government has taken note of her demand for repealing the CAA on the lines of the three farm laws. The government hasn’t yet notified the rules of the CAA, which is seen highly-sensitive in the Northeastern states, including Assam. 

After PM Modi’s dramatic television announcement of the repeal of the farm laws, some opposition parties had called for similar action on the CAA since “a large number of people remains opposed to it”. 
The winter session, beginning Monday, is likely to take off on a stormy note as Lok Sabha will take up the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, with the Opposition throwing their weight behind the demands of the farmers’ unions. Despite claims of multiple schemes benefiting small farmers, the NDA dispensation is not confident about its farm narrative in the absence of strong communicators within its ranks. 

The legislative flurry shown by the NDA in the past may also take a pause with the Opposition in Rajya Sabha likely to press for sending bills to the standing committees for wider scrutiny before both Houses take them up for passage.

Unlike the previous sessions of Parliament when the government ensured passage of bills in a din, the resurgent Opposition, particularly the Trinamool Congress, which, eyeing a bigger role in national politics, may pose challenges for the ruling NDA, which barring the BJP and JD (U), is without any big ally in both the Houses. Making clear of its ambitions, the TMC has sought to dictate the agenda of Parliament, calling for passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Posturing of the opposition parties on Sunday clearly indicated that the Assembly elections in five states next year will weigh heavily on the winter session. It is likely to be an opportunity for the Opposition to set the narrative for the upcoming polls by putting spotlight on price rise, farm distress and unemployment.         
Meanwhile, the BJP in its parliamentary party meeting on Sunday stressed on higher attendance of its MPs and asked them to come prepared to take on the opposition.