Winter Session will start Dec 15, MPs to work on January 1

New Delhi: Parliament’s Winter Session will begin on December 15, a day after the second and final phase of the Gujarat polls, and end on January 5.

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, headed by home minister Rajnath Singh, met on Friday to finalise the dates of the session. The CCPA’s recommendations will now be forwarded to President Ram Nath Kovind. The session will have 14 working days.

Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar justifed the decision to call the session after the Gujarat polls, and said this was also done by Congress governments in the past, including those headed by Indira Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh.

“We request and seek cooperation from all parties, including the Opposition, for smooth functioning of both Houses to make this session fruitful,” said the parliamentary affairs minister.

When asked if MPs would be asked to be present on January 1, Mr Kumar said they should be present on all working days, including New Year’s Day. The major bills expected to be introduced include one to ban triple talaq, Mr Kumar said.