Opposition in the Parliament

Published on 16 Jan 2025

Opposition in Parliament is a collective term against the political parties and alliances which are not a part of the ruling coalition. They perform a cardinal role in the functioning of Parliament by holding the ruling government accountable for their policies.  The leader of the opposition is the leader of the second largest party which possesses at least 10% of the seats in the Parliament/legislature. 

Need to have opposition in the Parliament

• Balancing power: The opposition serves as a critical check on the ruling party’s power, ensuring that it does not become too dominant and that power is exercised in a balanced manner.

• Example: The present opposition in Lok Sabha has opted for a united approach to create a balance of power with the ruling NDA alliance.

• Accountability and oversight: The opposition is responsible for holding the government accountable for its actions, policies and decisions.

• Example: The use of no-confidence motion, adjournment motion, question hour etc. ensures that the government is held accountable for their actions.

• Enhance quality of policies: The deliberations and constructive criticism offered by the opposition aids in enhancing the quality of legislation.

• Represent diverse views: The opposition represents a diverse range of socio-political and regional perspectives which ensures that voices of different sections are heard.

• Example: Parties like AIADMK and TDP bring regional demands while parties like BSP bring Dalit concerns to the forefront.

• Champion social justice: The opposition parties ensure that social issues are raised in front of the government and necessitate them to take action on these issues.

• Example: Opposition parties have influenced the formulation of legislations like MGNREGA and RTI.

Challenges in the functioning of the opposition in the Parliament

• Fragmentation within the opposition: The inability of opposition parties having diverse ideologies and interests to work together has reduced the effectiveness of their functioning.

• Example: Since 2014 there was absence of any unified efforts from the opposition to oppose the Modi government till the formation of the recent INDIA alliance.

• Reduction in Parliamentary time: Disruptions have been common as the government fails to give satisfactory response to the opposition which reduces time for deliberation. Hasty passage of bills through voice vote and use of ordinance has also reduced their efficiency.

• Example: In the 2023 Budget session, the Lok Sabha functioned for only 36% of the scheduled time while the Rajya Sabha for only 24% time.

• Uneven access to resources: The opposition often has limited access to financial and organizational resources as compared to the ruling party.

• Example: Access to adequate data affects effective criticism of policies of the government.

• Absence of opposition leader: This has hindered a unified approach against the government policies which makes it easy for the government to bring controversial bills.

• Example: The absence of an opposition leader in the Lok Sabha since 2014 has affected the coordinated efforts against the ruling regime.

• Limited role in committee: Opposition members may have limited representation in the committees giving them less scrutinising powers.

• Example: Of the 22 committees, Congress has only one chairperson while Trinamool Congress has zero chairperson.

• Legal challenge and harassment: Targeted attacks have been made against opposition leaders through central agencies which affect their independent functioning.

• Example: Recently 14 opposition parties have submitted a plea before the Supreme Court to look into selective use of central agencies to target opposition leaders.

The opposition parties must shed aside their differences and stand united against the ruling government to make them accountable for their actions. The parties must ensure they have adequate representation in the committees and use Parliament as an effective means to criticise government policies. The judiciary must also play its part in ensuring that there is no misuse of power by the government in power to stifle opposition.

Tags:
Polity

Keywords:
Opposition in the Parliament leader of the opposition opposition productivity of parliament disruption

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 2

Topics:
Parliament and State Legislatures