New Delhi: Voting on the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha is looking increasingly unlikely. The government is believed to have raised the point of a midnight limit on proceedings. With 18 speakers yet to deliver their speeches as of 9.40 PM, and a staggering 205 amendments awaiting discussion, the possibility of the Bill's being passed in any form - with or without amendments - in the Rajya Sabha is very low.
According to convention, the special session ends at midnight of December 29. Extending the session beyond this time involves a complex procedure involving a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the house, followed by a Cabinet meeting, and finally the President's assent. None of this appears likely.
Although Rajiv Shukla, the UPA's Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs suggested that attempts would be made to complete all business by midnight, the fact of the matter is that bringing things to a conclusion may not suit anyone's agenda. Sources informed CNN-IBN that the UPA is hoping that the issue of reservation will be raised by the BSP, SP and other smaller parties, leading to a possible adjournment and subsequent chaos.
Apparently, the unstated hope is to induce a state of chaos and confusion in the Upper House, preventing further proceedings leading to actual voting, and forcing an end to this special session. Whether this is really sought to be engineered or not, it could be a possible outcome. In any event, actually completing the process of the remaining speeches, consideration of the amendments and actual voting seems extremely unlikely before the midnight deadline.
In that event, the Lokpal Bill will probably have to wait for the next session of Parliament - the Budget Session - which is likely to begin in February 2012. According to experts, this is not necessarily a bad outcome, as it will offer more time for discussion and debate, and greater convergence between the different political forces on a vital piece of legislation.
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