The Congress is not worried over three major issues — fuel price hike, release of former UCC chief Warren Anderson and caste-based census — viewing that it will not polarise the Opposition inside and outside Parliament. “These issues can sustain till the Bihar Assembly elections, which are expected in October-November this year,” viewed a CWC member.
Price rise, especially food inflation, is an issue affecting the middle class, lower middle class and unorganised sector. But, at the same time, one cannot ignore how farmers have benefited by the MSP on food grains, agriculture loan waiver to the tune of over Rs 60,000 crores, AICC leaders argued. Price rise has never been an issue at least in the past few years as people hardly hit the streets on it. Political parties occasionally mobilise people on this issue but it hardly had influenced the government policies. The BJP had lost the Delhi Assembly elections in 1998 because the prices of onion had suddenly sky rocketed, they felt. Now, the Opposition is leaderless and sharply divided ideologically and strategically, feel AICC leaders.
Mandalite leaders — Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mayawati — are unlikely to join the BJP-led NDA even on the price rise issue after backing the Manmohan Singh government form outside.
The Samajwadi Party, BSP and RJD had helped the government in defeating the cut motions in the Budget session of the Parliament because of certain compulsions. Moreover, they are not as keen as the BJP, Left and other regional parties to fix the Congress leadership on the escape of Warren Anderson after the Bhopal gas leakage.