New Delhi: BJP floor managers can pat themselves on their backs as they succeeded in overcoming brief adjournments and noisy protests from opposition benches to make the maximum on the first day of actual business in the Winter Session of Parliament. The conduct of business and passage of some bills in both Houses of Parliament today proved that despite claims of unity, the opposition will have to work lot more harder to corner the government.
Notwithstanding the success today, BJP is aware that challenges would get bigger as the session moves ahead. On the day when the House started taking up issues, Lok Sabha went on well beyond 6 pm despite protests from Trinamool Congress, JD(U) and Congress on various counts throughout the day.
Among the critical issues, the passage of the crucial Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendments) Bill in Lok Sabha meant that the Congress can no longer claim that absence of a Leader in Opposition would hamper decision making in key appointments in institutions like the CBI, Lokayukta, CVC, NHRC and so on. The amendment in Section 4 (A) of the DSPE Act seeks to include leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lower House in the selection panel for picking up a CBI director. This will take care of the current scenario, where there is no recognised Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. The panel, headed by the prime minister, also comprises Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge to be appointed by the CJI.
The Congress can have the consolation of having its leader Mallikarjun Kharge in the selection panel even as the party with only 44 MPs was denied LoP status in the Lower House. But politically, it would be nursing its wounds. The fact that Modi government changed the law to vindicate its position brings great deal of ignominy to the Congress leadership.
The brewing tension between the two could spark a conflict on the Insurance Bill, where the BJP badly needs Congress' support for smooth functioning of the Select Committee where the Bill is currently pending. The Congress support is crucial for the passage of the bill whenever the Upper House takes up the matter.
The Congress is under pressure from the Left, Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal (United) and Samajwadi Party to oppose the bill. However, the fact that UPA government was itself keen on raising the FDI cap in the insurance sector to 49 percent till the very last, makes it difficult for the Congress to openly oppose the Bill. The Congress leadership faces a sharp dilemma over the issue and it would be interesting to watch what position it takes on the bill which it had once championed so aggressively.
During the Monsoon Session it had forced the government to send the bill to a Select Committee with the promise that it will allow passage of this bill in Winter Session after clause by clause vetting by the House panel. But if it sticks to its words then it would press the destruct button on a notionally budding opposition unity. Nobody has an answer as to what a weak Congress could do. The BJP leaders are hopeful that the Congress would finally see reason and support the bill.
The Congress took some stiff positioning, along with CPM in Rajya Sabha when the latter raised some technical objections regarding a BJP member. Following this Select Committee chairman Chandan Mitra sought an extension of two weeks. The Committee now will have to submit its report by 12 December. With Fridays otherwise being private members business day, the government will have only eight days to push Insurance Bill through in Winter Session.
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