A balanced mandate in recently concluded elections is expected to revitalise the role of the Indian Parliament after remaining mute for the last decade
By Iftikhar Gilani
India’s political landscape has changed after the results of recent general elections. The 18th Lok Sabha, unlike its predecessors, heralds a new era of balance and potential vibrancy in the country’s legislative process.
After years of the brute majority enjoyed by the ruling party, the recent elections have significantly changed the composition of Parliament and promises to revitalise the debate, scrutiny and democratic processes that seemed to be fading in the recent past.
During the tenure of the 16th and 17th Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019 and 2019 to 2024 respectively, Parliament was almost muted and often criticised for its monotony and lack of dynamic legislative action, largely due to the ruling party’s overwhelming majority.
This constellation left little room for the opposition to influence proceedings, which meant that the sessions were often seen as procedural rather than substantive.
However, this changed dramatically with the recent elections, when the number of opposition seats increased from just 91 to 230, while the number of ruling party seats fell from 352 to 290, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning 240 of those seats, falling short of a simple majority.
The resulting balance could revitalise Parliament’s role as a forum for serious debate and careful scrutiny of the government. Such a shift is not only numerical, but also brings with it the hope of restoring the lost greatness of the Lok Sabha — once a beacon of vibrant democratic practice, known for its rigorous debates and critical scrutiny of government policies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose style of governance has often been described as authoritarian, may find the new parliamentary dynamics a challenge.
In previous sessions under his leadership, opposition engagement was weakened: the posts of Deputy Speaker and Leader of the Opposition remained vacant, and parliamentary questions and motions by opposition members were often ignored.
In particular, the Prime Minister did not respond to questions in either chamber during the last parliamentary term, and opposition motions under different rules were not dealt with.
Moreover, under the recent BJP majorities, the productivity of the legislature had reached an all-time low in terms of the number of sitting days and deliberations on bills.
In terms of the number of sittings, this was the lowest number of working days in the Lok Sabha since 1952.
During the 17th Lok Sabha, MPs were suspended 206 times, in both Houses of Parliament. In the winter session of 2023, 146 MPs were suspended for serious misbehaviour in Parliament. Several important laws, such as the new criminal law reform bills, were passed after the MPs were suspended. Around 300 questions from opposition MPs were cancelled.
In August 2023, a no-confidence motion was introduced and debated in the Lok Sabha. The discussion lasted 20 hours. No adjournment motions were admitted in either the 16th or 17th Lok Sabha.
Between 2019 and 2023, an average of around 80% of the budget was passed without discussion. In 2023, the entire budget was passed without discussion. This has already happened twice in the last ten years – in 2018 and 2013.
Only a fraction of bills underwent the rigorous scrutiny of committee referrals – a marked departure from previous practises where comprehensive committee reviews ensured thorough scrutiny of legislation.
According to PRS Legislative Research, in the 16th Lok Sabha (during the first Modi government), 25 percent of the Bills introduced were referred to a committee, which is significantly lower than 71 percent and 60 per cent in the 15th and 14th Lok Sabha respectively” According to news reports, no Bills were referred to a Select Committee of Parliament in the 17th Lok Sabha.
This process is crucial as it allows for in-depth scrutiny of bills, facilitates participation of various stakeholders and helps build consensus across party lines. Some bills have been introduced in Parliament at the last minute and without notice, such as the division of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the reduction to two centrally administered areas.
The 17th Lok Sabha was characterised by a high number of suspensions of MPs and during these suspensions, important bills were passed, often without recorded votes, raising concerns about the transparency and inclusivity of the legislative process.
This period also saw unprecedented instances of unparliamentary behaviour and minimal debate on important national issues such as the budget and legislative reforms.
As the 18th Legislature begins, the Lok Sabha faces several critical tasks left behind by the previous Houses, including unresolved Bills and pending Bills that have a significant impact on governance in India. Notable among these are the bills on child marriage, electricity regulation and water disputes, all of which await further debate and resolution.
The rebalancing in Parliament will also reopen the platform for private members’ issues, which have seen a relative increase in submissions but minimal debate in recent times. Such activities are crucial when it comes to representing different interests in legislation and ensuring that different points of view are heard and taken into account in the political decision-making process.
The evolution of the parliamentary scenario in India is being closely watched by both national and international observers, especially in the context of global democracy indices that have recently rated India poorly in terms of executive accountability and legislative efficiency.
The effective functioning of Parliament is a cornerstone of democratic integrity and essential to the checks and balances that prevent autocratic tendencies and ensure that the government remains responsive to its citizens.
