Lok Sabha Speaker calls all-party meet ahead of Winter Session

An all-party meeting called by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to ensure smooth functioning of the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament is presently underway in the national capital.

According to reports, Mahajan will host a dinner for the leaders of various parties after the meeting.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge earlier in the day said that his party would raise the issues during the Winter Session of Parliament after taking all other parties into confidence.

"Whatever issues we raise, it will be done by taking all other political parties into confidence," he said.

The Congress leader, however, said that it was not appropriate for him to comment on his party's strategy at this point of time.

The Winter Session of Parliament will begin on November 24 and end on December 23. It will consist of 22 sittings.

There are 67 bills currently pending before the Parliament. Of these, nine bills were introduced in the previous Session of Parliament, while 40 of these were introduced in the 15th Lok Sabha, which was the regime of the UPA II Government. 18 other bills are pending from the earlier Lok Sabhas.