Opposition Unity Tested in Vice President Poll Battle

The Congress faces a formidable challenge as the NDA remains strong and united under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

- AJIT MAINDOLA

The Monsoon session of Parliament, remembered more for uproar than productivity, brought a fresh sense of unity to the INDIA alliance under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. Yet, the first real test of this opposition solidarity will come in the upcoming election of the Vice President, followed by the Bihar polls, which may ultimately determine whether Rahul Gandhi's leadership is fully accepted.

The Congress faces a formidable challenge as the NDA remains strong and united under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In this session, the government too showcased its cohesion—whether during the debate on Operation Sindoor or the nomination of CP Radhakrishnan for Vice President, allies stood firmly together. In terms of legislative work, however, the session proved disappointing. The opposition disrupted proceedings by pressing for a debate on the controversial SIR matter related to Bihar's voter list. Out of 120 scheduled hours for both Houses, the Lok Sabha worked for 37 hours while the Rajya Sabha managed just 41 hours and 15 minutes. Excluding Operation Sindoor discussions, most of the session was dominated by uproar.