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Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh hoped that the Winter Session of Parliament will be peaceful and productive, saying that the Government was willing to discuss all issues with the opposition parties. "We are looking forward to the session and we hope that this session will be peaceful and productive," he told reporters outside Parliament House. Dr. Singh's remarks came shortly after the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan over the Adarsh Society Housing scam. The Congress also accepted with immediate effect the resignation of Suresh Kalmadi as Secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) indicated that corruption will be the key issue during the session. The BJP has accused the government of silence on each of the scandals. The Opposition is insisting action on the allegations of scams surrounding 2G spectrum allocation and the Commonwealth Games during the month-long session. It will also seek a detailed discussion on the situation in Kashmir . Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has said the BJP would scuttle any plans of the Congress to "hide" the CWG scam behind the housing society scam. However, CPI leader D Raja said corruption would be a major issue for the Left. He also said the government would have to tell Parliament what was happening in Kashmir after the appointment of interlocutors to find a political solution to the issue. After a total of 24 sittings, the winter session will conclude on December 13.

Congress eases out Kalmadi and Chavan, hopes Parliament session will be 'productive'