Parliament’s special session moves to new building on Ganesh Chaturthi, September 19 : Sources

Amidst heightened political anticipation surrounding the upcoming five-day special session of Parliament scheduled from September 18 to 22, it has been reported that the session will initiate proceedings in the current Parliament building and then transition to the new Parliament building on September 19, coinciding with the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi.

The announcement of the special session has left political parties surprised, as the government has not disclosed any specific agenda for the five-day sitting. Congress Parliamentary Party Chief Sonia Gandhi addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter, expressing concern about the lack of transparency regarding the purpose of the special session, as no agenda has been communicated.

The special session of Parliament will commence its proceedings in the existing Parliament building before relocating to the newly constructed one.

The new Parliament building, a prestigious project undertaken by the Modi government, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on May 28 of this year. With a total expenditure of ₹971 crore, the new Parliament building has the capacity to accommodate 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 300 members in the Rajya Sabha. The monsoon session of Parliament was held in the former building, making the upcoming special session the inaugural event to take place in the new Parliament building.

Leading up to the special session, a political controversy unfolded following the mention of “Bharat” rather than “India” on the G20 invitation card. Speculation now suggests that the government may present a resolution during the special session to officially change India’s name to Bharat.

Another significant topic that could be addressed during the session is the concept of “one nation, one election.” The government has established a committee to examine the feasibility of conducting simultaneous elections across the states and at the national level. It should be noted that there will be no Question Hour or private members’ business during this session, as it is not part of the regular legislative calendar, which includes the Budget, Monsoon, and Winter sessions