Monsoon session of Parliament from tomorrow

The monsoon session of Parliament opening tomorrow promises to kick up a lot of heat and dust as Opposition parties are planning to raise issues like communal violence in Assam, rising prices, economy and drought.

Seeking to corner the government, BJP has announced plans to raise on the very first day the issue of Assam clashes which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the a blot on the nation. The Assam issue could generate a lot of heat as Congress and the Opposition are expected to indulge in charges and counter charges.

The Opposition parties have also given notice that they would raise the alleged spectrum and coal bloc allocation scams as also the controversial Aircel-Maxis deal and the handling of the Railway portfolio by Trinanmool Congress, especially in the context of the Tamil Nadu express accident recently.

Pune blasts as also the collapse of the power grid in the North and the east are among the issues that are likely to be raised to pillory the government. With the monsoon playing truant in several parts of the country, the focus would also turn to the drought situation amid demands for a national water policy and a better deal for farmers.

The session will be a test for the new Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who has been made the Leader of the Lok Sabha following the exit of Pranab Mukherjee, who was the chief troubleshooter of the government for eight years.