Seeking to launch an attack on the Narendra Modi government during the monsoon session of Parliament, the Congress has got a much-needed opportunity even as differences cropped up within the NDA over the “farm Bills”
The grand old party is also eyeing the political developments in Haryana over this issue. The resignation of the Akali Dal’s lone Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Union Cabinet over a set of farm Bills has raised the pressure on the BJP’s Haryana ally, Dushyant Singh Chautala, whose Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) is part of the state coalition government.
The question dominating the Congress circles is whether the political equations will change in Haryana if the JJP chooses to be out of the coalition over the farm Bills. The Congress will not lose a moment to exploit the political situation if it gets fluid in Haryana in case the JJP moves out of the ruling alliance. However, there is least possibility of the JJP taking such a step now in spite of the fact that Dushyant is under pressure after Harsimrat’s political move.
The Congress wants to cash in on the political situation resulting from row over the farm Bills. But the question is how to keep the UPA and other parties of Opposition together. The Shiv Sena has given anxious moments to the Congress by backing the farm Bills in the Lok Sabha. However, the Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut has assured the Congress that he will not support the Bills in the Rajya Sabha.
Sources say that if vote division takes place in the Rajya Sabha, parties such as BJP, BJD, BSP and other southern outfits may refrain from participating in voting in the house to help the government indirectly. Therefore, it seems the government won’t have any problem in passing these Bills.
With this being the case, the only benefit the Congress has got in this entire episode is that it has got an opportunity to hit the streets against the government over the issues pertaining to the farming community of the country. The party has asked its functionaries and rank and file to start demonstrations and dharnas. The Congress is hopeful of uniting the Opposition parties over the farm Bills like it did during its opposition to the land acquisition Bill.
The Congress is smelling an opportunity to exploit the situation arising out of resignation of Harsimrat Kaur due to which politics has heated up. In a display of this, the Congress has intensified its attack on the government. Congress’ former chief Rahul Gandhi was already on the offensive against the government. AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala reached his home state Haryana and targeted the state government. He even sort of told the JJP to break association with the BJP-led coalition government in Haryana over the issue of farmers. However, Dushyant knows well what the Congress strategy is all about.
Therefore, the JJP chief will not be giving the Congress any chance to destabilise the Haryana government.
So, the Congress’ all efforts will be limited to protests and attacks against the Modi government, as it cannot stop the Bills from being passed in the Rajya Sabha. As per the arithmetic, the NDA has support of 122 MPs, which is one above the majority mark. If the Shiv Sena joins the lot, then the victory will be much stronger. If Maharashtra’s party refrains from voting, then also it will benefit the government. Meanwhile, TRS (7 MPs), BSP (4 MPs), BJD (9 MPs), and TDP (1 MP) may also refrain from voting on the Bills. The government’s floor managers are said to be trying to take these political outfits on board so that the Bills could be passed with voice vote.