5 min readNew DelhiAug 14, 2026 07:17 AM IST First published on: Aug 14, 2026 at 07:11 AM ISTIn the weeks leading up to the Monsoon Session, the BJP-led government appeared to be comfortably placed, with the Opposition on the defensive after internal fractures and high-profile defections in key regional parties Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena (UBT).The Session began on July 20 and the narrative shifted on the first day itself following the police action against thousands of youngsters intent on marching to Parliament to protest against exam paper leaks and demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister. The protesters scored a win as Pradhan resigned on July 25. Then, a couple of weeks later, came the setback in the Assembly bypolls in two constituencies once considered the BJP’s bastion, one of which is BJP president Nitin Nabin’s seat.