Derek O’Brien reflects on the renewed energy and enthusiasm, or “josh,” within the Opposition in Parliament. He notes that the phrase “How’s the josh?”—popularized by a film five years ago—now aptly describes the revived spirit among Opposition members in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Following the 2024 election results, Parliament has held two sessions, and O’Brien highlights five key reasons that have kept the Opposition’s “Josh Quotient” (JQ) high during this period.
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Derek O’Brien: Renewed Enthusiasm in the Opposition
In 2009, the Parliament convened for 33 days, during which 17 Bills were introduced and eight were passed. In contrast, the Budget Session of 2024 lasted only 22 days and was adjourned earlier than planned. Both Houses were unexpectedly cut short on a Friday afternoon instead of the scheduled Monday (coincidentally, just before the Hindenburg story broke on Saturday night). There were clear signs of unease, with 14 Bills introduced but only three passed. The Union government also refused to allow discussions on the functioning of the Home Affairs and Defence Ministries, despite 15 parties demanding debates on these critical ministries.
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Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA Alliance
While the Act does not prescribe it, the convention followed (as prescribed by Lok Sabha Speaker GV Mavalankar in 1956) is that a party must secure at least 55 seats to nominate a member for the post. While the Congress had 52 MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha, this time with almost 100 MPs, the party officially laid claim to the position. Constitutionally and psychologically, this really pumped up the INDIA alliance in the House of the People. Rahul Gandhi would have been happy with the runs he scored in his debut innings.
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