In fiasco over unpassed Bills, sign of UPA’s confusion

The government is in fact, likely to bring five more ordinances in the next few days before the model code of conduct sets in, so as to meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s much-trumpeted agenda to pass six anti-corruption laws.

The confusion in the ruling dispensation’s parliamentary strategy was underscored also by the lapsing of the women’s reservation Bill, a legislation that Sonia Gandhi has been committed to. The Bill, which was passed by Rajya Sabha some four years ago, lapsed along with the 15th Lok Sabha.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat was learnt to have informed the government Friday that even though the Bill had originated in the Upper House, it had lapsed because the message about it being sent to the Lower House had already been read out and, it was, therefore, the property of the current LS alone. The next government will have to restart the entire process, and get the Bill passed in both Houses of Parliament.

Another blow to Sonia’s commitment to women was delivered by her party’s floor managers’ failure to get the Indira Gandhi National University for Women Bill, 2013, passed. The Bill — to set up a university in Sonia’s Lok Sabha constituency of Rae Bareli to provide higher education and research facilities to women — was listed for the last day of LS, but could not be taken up after the BJP refused to cooperate.

BJP sources said that after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and Sonia’s political secretary Ahmed Patel failed to persuade Sushma Swaraj to help, she called the Leader of Opposition herself. The BJP was, however, learnt to have told Congress leaders that if they were so concerned about this women’s university, “why did you wait until the last day of the 15th Lok Sabha?”

“They cannot expect us to help their party president to offer a gift to her voters in Rae Bareli on the eve of elections,” a senior BJP leader said.