Gone with the wind? Decoding Opposition's Parliament strategy that pushed Delhi’s air crisis to backburner

Delhi-NCR remains covered in a thick layer of smog on Friday. (File Photo: PTI)

When Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi rose in the Lok Sabha on Friday to seek a discussion on air pollution, he struck a conciliatory note, promising solutions rather than a blame game. After days of disruptions, the appeal briefly refocused Parliament’s attention on an issue affecting millions across north India.

But when the moment arrived, the Opposition, including the Congress, chose to deploy its energy elsewhere as it mounted protests against the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill, which replaces the MGNREGA, the UPA's flagship rural employment guarantee scheme.

The discussion on air pollution, listed for 2 pm on Thursday with the Union Environment Minister scheduled to reply at 5 pm, was never taken up amid continued disruptions in both Houses.

What followed was predictable. The Opposition accused the Treasury benches of lacking the intent to discuss the air crisis, while the government countered that it was prepared for the debate, to be initiated by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but could not proceed due to persistent pandemonium.

So what changed in less than 48 hours? Why did the Opposition not push for the air pollution discussion even after the VB-G RAM G Bill was cleared ahead of schedule in the Lok Sabha?

The answer, by the Opposition’s own admission, lay in political prioritisation rather than procedural breakdown.

“Air pollution is primarily a Delhi-NCR issue. Had we debated it, the focus would have shifted there, especially since leaders like Priyanka Gandhi and Kanimozhi were slated to speak. We did not want the MGNREGA issue to be overshadowed,” a Congress leader told The Indian Express.

Another senior Opposition leader acknowledged that the rural employment bill offered sharper political dividends. “This is an issue that gives us traction in villages and among women. Unlike the ‘vote chori’ campaign, this directly affects people’s lives. We did not want that narrative diluted,” the leader said.

From the BJP’s perspective, repealing MGNREGA carries its own political logic. “The scheme earned the Gandhi family enormous political capital and was central to the Congress resurgence in 2009. Any replacement must carry our imprint,” a BJP MP said, describing the move as a deliberate attempt to erode a key Congress legacy.

Throughout the Winter Session, which concludes today, Delhi’s Air Quality Index hovered in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range, with 10-day averages between 370 and 380. While the Congress maintains it has sought a discussion on air pollution since December 1, the fact remains that when the debate was scheduled, the Opposition opted to shift focus.

In Parliament this winter, the air crisis did not disappear. It was simply outpaced by a political calculation deemed more electorally potent by the Opposition.