Opposition ready with more ammo
JOINT STRATEGY The NDA appears less likely to succeed in drawing support in House from Opposition parties for its big-ticket initiatives LOK SABHA
NEW DELHI: The Left-Congress alliance will continue in Parliament on major issues though the Goods and Services Tax legislation could drive a wedge in their joint strategy to corner the government in the monsoon session.
The opposition is gathering steam on targeting the government on a host of issues. These include the dismissal of Congress governments, handling of the J&K situation, price rise, NDA’s “unnecessary haste and subsequent failure” in getting membership to the nuclear suppliers group apart from its foreign policy vis-à-vis Pakistan, and growing incidents of communal disharmony in the country.
Back-to-back Supreme Court verdicts on Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh that led to re-installation of Congress governments in the two hill states have given a fresh handle to the opposition to attack the ruling side.
The Congress will also seek a debate on the role of NDA-appointed governors in opposition-ruled states. The main opposition party has already threatened that it will press for the dismissal of Arunachal Pradesh governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa both outside and in Parliament. It will also demand a clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh on the issue.
The Congress will also try to raise the issue of executive-judiciary relationship. The party has already accused the government of hitting back at judiciary by “delaying” appointment of judges. “Never before in recent history has the executive-judiciary relationship been in tatters as now,” party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
However, the GST seems to be a problem area. All the more so for the Left even as the Congress seems to have softened its stiff opposition to the legislation, first mooted when the UPA was in power. The BJP-led NDA government has claimed to have brought Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress on board on the issue. The Left is in a quandary over this. This is said to have prompted a change in the Congress stand.
Both the CPM and the CPI had given dissent note on the GST in the select committee, and vehemently argued that the legislation is against the spirit of federalism.
However, the CPI(M)-ruled Kerala government has expressed its support for the GST, making matters worse for the Left.
“Let us wait for what the government has to say on GST. The Left parties will air our concerns and see how others are in agreement with them,” CPI leader D Raja said.
However, the Left and the Congress are rooting for the other contentious issues to bring together the entire opposition. BJP: 54
(including 2 Nominated) Telugu Desam Party: 6 Shiromani Akali Dal: 3 Bodoland People’s Front: 1 J&K Peoples Democratic Party: 2
Republican Party of India (A): 1
Shiv Sena: 3
Naga Peoples Front: 1 Sikkim Democratic Front: 1 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham: 13 Biju Janata Dal: 8 Independent & Others: 4 Nominated: 5
All India Trinamool Cong: 12 Bahujan Samaj Party: 6 Indian National Lok Dal: 1 Janata Dal (Secular): 1 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha: 1 Nationalist Congress Party: 5 Samajwadi Party: 19 Telangana Rashtra Samithi: 3 Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party: 1