Opposition parties are yet to work out a common strategy against the government on various issues, including the JNU row, atrocities against dalits and the Pathankot attack, during the Budget Session
Opposition parties are yet to work out a common strategy against the government on various issues, including the JNU row, atrocities against dalits and the Pathankot attack, during the Budget Session of Parliament beginning next week.
While a key floor manager of the main Opposition Congress on Thursday remained tight-lipped on a question on whether the party would give notice for an adjournment motion on these issues, the role of the Samajwadi Party, Trinamul Congress, AIADMK, BJD and the BSP would be interesting to watch as they are neither with the Opposition nor fully with the government.
If Congress insiders are to be believed, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad will call a meeting of non-NDA leaders in the coming days to discuss a possible floor strategy.
Although the Congress and the Left have moved closer and might take up the issues jointly with the JD(U), the Congress is not comfortable with the AAP while the TMC and the Left cannot come together even on certain issues inside Parliament due to the coming elections in West Bengal. While the NCP, TRS and the YSR Congress Party are expected to take a clear line in Parliament on these issues, the BJP allies in the NDA — the Shiv Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal, TDP and even the LJP — will have to take a convincing stand on these issues.
If the Shiv Sena is more aggressive than the BJP and the Sangh Parivar against Pakistan, the Shiromani Akali Dal has been suggesting that the Modi government be friendly with the minorities. The TDP has been confining itself to the interests of Andhra Pradesh rather than taking a stand on these issues.
In the Lok Sabha, the government is not worried because it has the numbers and a divided Opposition, but in the Rajya Sabha it will find it difficult to take on a united Opposition. Even the Trinamul Congress and the BSP do not want to be seen friendly with the government on the issues of minorities and dalits.
If Congress insiders are to be believed, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad would call a meeting of non-NDA leaders in the coming days to discuss a possible floor strategy.
