All-party meet: JD(U) demands special status for Bihar, YSRCP for Andhra; Cong seeks LS Dy Speaker post

New Delhi: In a significant move ahead of the Parliament’s monsoon session, an all-party meeting was convened by the government on Sunday morning.

During the session, the JD(U) and YSRCP reignited their calls for special status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, respectively. The Congress reiterated its demand for the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker’s post for the Opposition.

JD(U), a key ally in the ruling NDA, had recently passed a resolution demanding either special category status or a package for Bihar. Andhra Pradesh’s leaders, whose demand for special status has gained momentum post-Lok Sabha polls, also pushed their case fervently.

The meeting saw attendance from a spectrum of political leaders, including BJP President JP Nadda, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, and Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju represented the government’s perspective.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi raised pressing issues such as the NEET-UG paper leak, the alleged misuse of central agencies like the ED and CBI, and reinforced the call for the Opposition to hold the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker position. Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav brought up concerns about nameplates on food shops along the Kanwar route in Uttar Pradesh.

Congress’s Jairam Ramesh took to social media platform X to highlight the demands made during the meeting. “In today’s all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the JD(U) leader demanded special category status for Bihar. The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter,” he posted.

Ramesh further noted the shifting political climate, stating, “How the political climate has changed! In the all-party meeting of floor leaders, the BJD leader reminded Defence Minister and BJP President JP Nadda of the BJP’s 2014 Odisha assembly election manifesto promise for special category status.”

BJD leader Sasmit Patra confirmed to reporters that his party also demanded special category status for Odisha.

The pre-session meeting, held before Monday’s Parliament session, included notable figures like Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and K Suresh, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, RJD’s Abhay Kushwaha, JD(U)’s Sanjay Jha, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, and NCP’s Praful Patel.

A unified opposition is expected to challenge the NDA government on various fronts, including the NEET paper leak and railway safety concerns.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on Tuesday, with the Economic Survey being tabled on Monday.

The session will consist of 19 sittings until August 12, during which the government plans to introduce six bills, including one to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act, and seek Parliament’s approval for Jammu and Kashmir’s budget, currently under central rule.