Opposition parties boycott panel on key bills, signaling rift in INDIA bloc

In what seem to be signs of a rift within the INDIA opposition bloc, all major opposition parties — except the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) — declined to join the Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP) formed to examine three crucial pieces of legislation, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, and amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation and Union Territories Acts.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday appointed BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi as chairperson of the 31-member panel. The only INDIA bloc member to accept the nomination on the panel is Supriya Sule. Leaders of the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party, and DMK have chosen to stay away, signaling a coordinated opposition protest.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is understood to have spearheaded the move, calling the Bills “an assault on the spirit of federalism” and urging partners to boycott the panel.

From outside the NDA fold, Asaduddin Owaisi and Harsimrat Kaur Badal have been included, while Sudha Murthy and Ujjwal Nikam, the nominated members in the Rajya Sabha, also find a place along with 10 other members. The committee will begin its deliberations later this month.

"The Honourable Speaker has been pleased to appoint Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, MP, Lok Sabha, as the Chairperson of the Joint Committee on the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025; The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025," a notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat said. Some other members on the panel include Ravi Shankar Prasad, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Anurag Thakur, and TDP's Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, among others.