NDA split on boycott, drags feet

With apparent sharp divisions among NDA leaders on the issue of boycotting Parliament, the BJP-led Opposition tonight deferred a final decis...

With apparent sharp divisions among NDA leaders on the issue of boycotting Parliament, the BJP-led Opposition tonight deferred a final decision on the issue till its parliamentary party meeting tomorrow.

NDA sources said that during the meeting, which lasted for over 90 minutes, the Alliance leaders were divided on whether to continue or not the three-day boycott, protesting the UPA Government’s ‘‘attitude’’ towards the Opposition and demanding the resignation of Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav against whom charges were framed in a Jharkhand court in a fodder scam case.

While some leaders, including those of the BJP, were in favour of the boycott till the Government gave some assurance on their demands, others said boycott of voting on Finance Bill could send a wrong message to the people at large.

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They felt that having made a symbolic protest, the Alliance should not be seen as ‘‘wasting public exchequer’’ and the precious time of Parliament by not taking part in the democratic process, sources said.

With the meeting failing to hammer out a solution to the issue, the leaders decided to take ‘‘feedback’’ from their MPs on the boycott and take a final decision at the Parliamentary party meeting to be presided by NDA chairman A.B. Vajpayee.

BJP deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj told reporters that ‘‘there was a detailed discussion by the NDA leaders on the boycott issue but wider consultations among constituents of the Alliance was necessary and a decision in this regard has been postponed till tomorrow’’.

NDA convenor George Fernandes said the meeting, presided by leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani, discussed the prevailing political situation but a final decision would be taken in the presence of NDA chairman Vajpayee who could not attend tonight’s meeting as he was away in Lucknow.

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Asked whether the government had contacted the Opposition during the three-day boycott, Swaraj said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had called up Advani, Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh but nothing ‘‘solid or substantial’’ came out of the exercise.

Besides Advani, Fernandes and Swaraj, the meeting was attended by Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and V.K. Malhotra of BJP, JD(U) leaders Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar and Akali Dal leader S.S. Dhindsa.