Petrol prices, Covid mishandling to top TMC's agenda in monsoon session

The Trinamool Congress is likely to raise the issue of hike in fuel prices, alleged mishandling of COVID situation and farmers stir against the three agri laws to corner the BJP-led government

The Trinamool Congress is likely to

raise the issue of hike in fuel prices, alleged mishandling of COVID situation and farmers stir against the three agri laws to corner the BJP-led central government during upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, party sources said Tuesday.

The Parliament session will commence from July 19 and end on August 13.

"We will raise the issue of petrol price hike, COVID mishandling, farm bills and attempts to undermine the federal structure.

"The people of the country are suffering due to several anti-people policies of the centre. We will raise those issues," TMC Lok Sabha party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay told PTI.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee headed Trinamool Congress has 22 MPs in Lok Sabha and 11 in Rajya Sabha.

In Lok Sabha, TMC and YSR Congress Party are the fourth largest with 22 MPs each after BJP, Congress and DMK.

In the upper house TMC has third largest MPs after BJP and Congress.

The upcoming monsoon session of Parliament will be the first after bitterly fought Bengal polls and the TMC is expected use every opportunity to pin down rival BJP.

Echoing Bandopadhyay, party colleague Sougata Roy said the party would also raise the economic situation and how the BJP has failed to tackle it.

"The fuel prices are not only triggering inflation in the country but also sent the economy for a toss. Its not just fuel prices.

"It is the anti-people, anti-poor policies that and mismanagement of the COVID situation that has pushed the economy to an all-time low, Roy, TMC MP from Dum Dum said.

Bandopadhyay also pointed out that while questioning the mishandling of the COVID situation, the parliamentary party would also discuss the eight-phase assembly polls in Bengal, leading to a spike in the COVID situation in the state.

"While raising the issue of COVID, we would also point out how eight phases of elections were held in Bengal, which led to the spike in COVID cases.

"But, now the BJP leaders are planning to raise this issue to postpone assembly by-polls in six[i]seats in the state," he said.

He,however, stressed that the issues will be further sorted out after the all-party meeting on July 17.

"We will also hold discussion with our party leadership on the outcome of the meeting and decide our course of action," he said.

Rakesh Tikiat and other farmers leaders of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had recently met Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata and she supported their cause.

When asked whether the party would push for greater opposition unity in Parliament to corner the BJP, Bandopadhyay said it doesn't depend only on the TMC.

The party during this session would also push for disqualification of Sisir Adhikari and Sunil Mondal, who was elected as TMC MPs but switched over to the BJP ahead of the assembly polls.

"We had already moved to Lok Sabha speaker, requesting him to initiate the process for disqualifying memberships of Sisir Adhikari and Sunil Mondal.

"We would take that process forward during this session," another senior TMC MP said, who did not wish to be named.

Sisir Adhikari, MP from Kanthi, is father of Suvendu Adhikari, a protege-turned-rival of Mamata Banerjee.