Parliament Winter Session Day 3: Opposition Unites to Finalise Strategy

New Delhi, December 3, 2025 — The third day of the Parliament’s Winter Session began with a crucial meeting of opposition leaders, signaling a united front to tackle the government on key issues that have stalled proceedings for the first two days. Floor leaders from various opposition parties, including the Congress and others in the ‘INDIA’ bloc, met in the chamber of the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, to discuss their joint strategy.

The Central Issue: Electoral Rolls Revision

The main point of conflict dominating the initial days has been the Opposition’s demand for an immediate and detailed debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which is currently underway in several states. Opposition parties allege irregularities in the process and have raised concerns about the purity of the voter lists.

The first two days of the session saw continuous protests, sloganeering, and multiple adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as the Opposition insisted on prioritizing the SIR debate over all other listed business. They argue that the issue is vital for safeguarding democracy and must be addressed immediately.

Breakthrough on Debate

A significant breakthrough came late on Day 2 after an all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The government agreed to schedule a debate on “Electoral Reforms” in the Lok Sabha on December 9 and 10.

• Lok Sabha Agenda: The Lower House is now scheduled to hold a debate on the 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ on Monday, followed by the ten-hour discussion on electoral reforms on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Rajya Sabha: The Upper House is expected to finalize its own timeline for these debates following the Lok Sabha discussions.

This compromise, where the Opposition shifted its demand from a specific debate on SIR to a broader discussion on ‘electoral reforms,’ has provided a pathway to end the logjam and allow Parliament to function.

Opposition’s Day 3 Huddle

The morning meeting of opposition leaders was critical to formalize their approach following the consensus reached yesterday. The focus was likely on:

1. Framing the Debate: Strategizing how to effectively use the ‘electoral reforms’ debate slot to highlight their specific concerns regarding the SIR process, including allegations of mass deletion of votes and pressure on ground-level staff.
2. Addressing Other Issues: Planning to raise other national issues like national security following a recent blast in the capital, rising air pollution, and concerns affecting farmers.

The willingness of both sides to reach a consensus on the debate schedule suggests that Day 3 is likely to see the resumption of legislative business, even as the Opposition remains firm on holding the government accountable. The government, meanwhile, is keen to push ahead with its legislative agenda, which includes crucial bills on economic reforms, new taxation for ‘sin goods,’ and the civil nuclear sector.

The smooth functioning of Parliament today hinges on the Opposition’s decision in this morning meeting and the government’s commitment to the agreed-upon debate schedule.