Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: 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 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.
Sources revealed that Tharoor issue was also discussed at the meeting.
UPA has a reason to worry what with the Opposition NDA announcing today 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.
"We will make all efforts from our side on the issue of
cut motion and will do everything it takes for floor
coordination," party spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman has
said.
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.
Bansal said government was ready for discussion on any
issue under rules.
The Dantewada massacre of 75 securitymen, the
worst-ever Maoist strike, is also expected to figure
prominently in the three-week-long session which will conclude
on May seven.
Government has also announced it will hold another
all-party meeting this week to arrive at a consensus on the
Women`s Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha.
"Our government is determined to reserve one third of
all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The
bill will be tabled in the current session of Parliament,"
Union Minister V Narayansami has said.
The government appears to be on its weakest wicket since it came to power in May last year with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) deciding to join the anti-Congress, anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposition like the Left parties to move a cut motion in parliament demanding the rollback in prices of petrol, diesel and fertiliser.
The SP and the RJD withdrew their outside support to the government over the women`s reservation bill, which promises 33 percent quota to women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislature and was passed in the Rajya Sabha before the break.
Government is also likely to face the heat on the
issue of nuclear liability bill which caps the compensation to
Rs 500 crore in case of a disaster and has come under attack
from opposition. The bill is yet to be introduced in
Parliament and government has said it is open to suggestions
on it.
The Left parties and the BJP have said they would not allow the government to introduce the civil nuclear liability bill in the present form.
-Agencies inputs
