INDI alliance loses strength in Parliament after record suspension of MPs

Delhi: As a record number of Member of Parliaments (MPs) were suspended from both the houses of the Parliament during the winter session on Monday (December 18), the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) has lost a remarkable strength ahead of the crucial general elections due next year from the Parliament. 

The INDIA bloc has 95 MPs in Rajya Sabha of which 45 were suspended on Monday. Their another MP, AAP's Sanjay Singh, is behind bars in the Delhi liquor policy case and stands already suspended.

In the Lok Sabha on the other hand, the opposition bloc has a total strength of 133 MPs of whom 46, or around on-third, stand suspended. The 46 include 33 suspended on Monday and 13 earlier. In Rajya Sabha, among the 34 suspended for the remainder of the session, 12 MPs are from the Congress.

After the suspension of most of their leaders, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge remains the only voice to spearhead the alliance's attack in Rajya Sabha and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.

MPs suspension triggers political slugfest 

The suspension of MPs from both the houses of the Parliament has triggered a political slugfest with opposition members terming the action "murder of democracy" and BJP leader and union minister Piyush Goyal claiming that the action was necessary as the opposition MPs insulted the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman.

The decision to suspend the MPs was taken by the chair after ruckus in the Parliament over the security breach which took place on December 13. 

(With agency inputs)