Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan calls all-party meeting on December 11

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has called an all-party meeting on December 11, the first day of the Parliament's winter session, to build a consensus for a smooth functioning of the Lower House.

The winter session from December 11 to January 8 will be the last full-fledged session before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The counting of votes for election in five states, on December 11, will coincide with the beginning of the session.

Another all-party meeting has been called by the Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and the government on December 10 for achieving a consensus for a smooth conduct of the proceedings in the Upper House.

The three meetings are aimed at building a consensus on the issues which are likely to be taken upon during the session to ensure smooth conduct of proceedings in both the houses of the legislature.

The results of the Assembly elections in five states, in which the ruling BJP and the Congress have high stakes, are bound to cast a shadow on the parliamentary proceedings.

The results of the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly polls will be announced on December 11.

The government will push for the passage of the instant "triple talaq" bill pending in the Rajya Sabha in the upcoming session. It had earlier promulgated an ordinance to make the practice of instant triple talaq a penal offence.

For the Opposition, it will be the last chance to take on the government in the House and they are likely to raise several issues such as the Rafale deal, distress in farm sector, and working of the CBI.