After sessions of lassitude, Parliament seems to have come back to life. The brute majority of the NDA, the emaciation of the opposition, and the impasse over the appointment of a leader of the opposition, had given rise to fears that decision-making would be shifted out of Parliament, that debate would be snuffed out. But the budget session largely belied such fears. Apart from a few adjournments, there was a flurry of activity in the House. The budget was passed, as was a law to amend the Sebi Act and the bill to reorganise Andhra Pradesh. Bills to amend labour laws are slated for consideration. Most importantly, debate returned to the House, a sharp contrast to the last years of the UPA. There were robust discussions on a range of subjects — Gaza, the CSAT, the insurance bill, disaster management. At first glance, this would seem to be an exemplary session of Parliament.
But what injected such energy into the House? The NDA is working on many fronts, pushing the same legislation as the UPA, but it is invigorated by a clear mandate for action. It is also harder for the opposition to block legislation it had championed while in the Treasury benches, though the BJP seemed to have no qualms about doing so while it was in opposition. An overwhelming mandate also reduced the need for the BJP to build a consensus among allies.
