Speaker to engage in lunch diplomacy on February 26

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will engage in some 'lunch diplomacy' on February 26 to ensure the Budget session proceeds smoothly and is not a washout like the previous two sessions.
Mahajan, who has had consultations with several leaders across political parties, including Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, has invited their floor leaders, chief whips and Union ministers for lunch at her Akbar road residence on Friday.
Parliament sources said delicacies from Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, which Mahajan represents in Parliament as an MP from Indore, would be served.
Mahajan had met Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay on Monday ahead of an all-party meeting.

Congress leaders have been insisting that they needed to be allowed to have their say in the Lok Sabha like in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling NDA does not have a majority.
Concerned over frequent disruptions of the Lok Sabha during the last two sessions, the Speaker has held consultations with a number of other senior leaders including BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab.
Parliament sources said the Speaker has been in touch with leaders of other parties too.
On Monday, after the all-party meeting, Mahajan had said a consensus has emerged that Parliament should run smoothly and that question hour is not made a victim of disruptions.