Cloud over top BJP leaders forecasts a monsoon storm in Parliament

“Parliament will have to force accountability” on the government, said Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma. Referring to Lalit Modi, he said Parliament will have to discuss the issue and the “prime minister cannot escape”. These issues, he said, cannot be “swept under the carpet or played down since these relate to propriety and probity on which there are settled precedence and benchmarks”.

Congress sources said the first week, if not the entire session, would be a washout. The Opposition is determined to stall both Houses to press for the resignation of Union minister Swaraj, Raje and chief ministers Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

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Sources in the government said there is no question of accepting that demand. The government is hopeful the ruckus would subside within the first few days and it will be able to push a few bills towards the end. “The Opposition creates pandemonium every session but the government has managed to get many bills passed,” said a minister.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said he was “disturbed” by reports quoting Congress leaders that the session will be a washout if their demand for the resignations is not met. “The opposition has a certain right to insist on discussion on any issue they feel is important… The government has been and is willing to respond to any issue of larger public concern that the Opposition wants to raise,” Naidu told The Indian Express. He added, “Delivering a judgement without even discussing such issues and taking a predetermined position and threatening destabilisation of functioning of Parliament is quite bewildering and that too coming from the Congress party that ruled our country for so long.”

With the session coming ahead of the Bihar elections due in October-November, the Opposition would like to dent the government image deeply enough to set the BJP back in an important state. The BJP, for its part, would like to use the Opposition’s “obstructionist” strategy as an election issue.

Opposition divide

The Opposition is not as united as it might have hoped. The government believes that after its decision to withhold the Land Acquisition Bill, the Opposition is divided and as such, it is ready to go slow on the bill.

Again, the Congress and the Janata Parivar are not in complete agreement over the demand for the resignation of Sushma, who is on good terms with many opposition leaders. And if the Congress pushes too hard, it may eventually find itself in the dock given the involvement of some of its own senior leaders in cricket politics.

Again, the Trinamool Congress is likely to extend its support to the GST Bill, which the Congress wants to block. The Congress can, however, count on the support of the DMK and the AIADMK, the JD(U) and the Left. Since it is a constitution amendment bill, the government will have to sweat to muster a two-thirds majority in Rajya Sabha.

Though the RJD, JD(U) and the SP have demanded the release of caste census data with the Bihar elections in mind, the Congress is not as vocal as the rest, the SECC exercise having begun during its regime. The party will, nevertheless, play along with the rest.

Congress leaders insist the party is ready to play the lone warrior. “The Sushma Swaraj issue is serious enough to be taken up. We as the principal opposition party will have to take our call,” a senior strategist said.

Sonia Gandhi had held some rounds of discussions with the party top brass on a strategy. Senior Congress leaders have been asked to reach out to other opposition leaders one-on-one.

Unhappy allies

Some NDA allies too have apprehensions over various legislation proposed. The Shiv Sena has demanded an NDA meeting to prepare a strategy against the Opposition. Keen that the NDA put up an united face, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened a meeting of all NDA constituents on Monday, the first such exercise since coming to power. Also on Monday, the government and the opposition will come face to face at two separate all-party meetings called by the parliamentary affairs minister and the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Naidu is still optimistic. “I would expect the Opposition to be reasonable in making their strategies. Our strategy would be to facilitate discussion on any substantial issue that the Opposition would like to take up and at the same time ensure that the legislative proposals are taken forward,” he said.