New Delhi, April 15: Ruling UPA’s strength in the Lok Sabha may come in for a close test when Parliament resumes on Thursday the second phase of the Budget session with the Opposition planning to move a cut motion on price rise and spitting fire over Shashi Tharoor – IPL controversy.
A number of issues have cropped up to the discomfiture of the government which range from the latest row involving Tharoor to the Dantewada massacre by Maoists.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday held deliberations with senior leaders including Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram to decide floor strategy etc. The party has decided to gather facts in the Tharoor matter and a decision is likely to be taken only after the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives from his US trip.
“We discussed a large number of issues that may come up in Parliament,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal said after the hour-long meeting.
UPA has a reason to worry with the Opposition NDA announcing that not only would it bring a Cut Motion on price rise, but will also demand a statement from government on Dantewada massacre, press for suspension of Question Hour in both Houses.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader in Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharia said, “We will press for cut motion.” The Left parties have also asked for Tharoor’s resignation.
The Opposition block will also demand action against Tharoor under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Three legislative measures of the government are hanging fire — the flagship Women’s Reservation Bill as well as Food Security and Civil Nuclear Liability Bills.
A relief for Congress and its allies was that 21-member BSP has stayed away from non-NDA and non-UPA parties’ initiative, which together account for 87 MPs, to bring a cut motion demanding roll back in hike in prices of petroleum products and fertilisers.
Congress-led UPA has a strength of around 265 members, including some independents and BSP’s action has raised its comfort level in the event of a crisis in the 543-member House.
The leaders of the 13-party grouping have said the idea of bringing the cut motion was not to topple the government but to focus on the issue of price rise.
A cut motion puts to test the strength of the government in the Lok Sabha. If the motion is adopted, it amounts to defeat of the government on a money matter.
In fact, BJP as also non-NDA and non-UPA parties are seeking to mobilise public support on the issue of price rise with BJP announcing ‘gherao of Parliament’ on April 21 and the 13-parties calling for a nation-wide strike on April 27.
BJP, which has 116 members, is also planning to move a cut motion on the issue of price rise and wants to move in the matter along with its allies in NDA. JD(U) has 20 MPs while other allies Shiv Sena and Akali Dal have 11 and four members respectively.
BJP has given enough hints that it would not be averse to doing business with the 13-party grouping on the cut motion issue. Congress as well as government have remained unfazed by the opposition moves with party leaders saying the party and its allies were fully prepared to face any eventuality.
“There will be no problem to the government”, Bansal said and appealed to the opposition to desist from such an action, calling for smooth running of Parliament.
—-Agencies