After dousing fires on price rise, the Bhopal gas leakage tragedy and alleged irregularities in the Commonwealth games inside Parliament, the government is all set to get the main Opposition BJP on board on the civil liability for nuclear damage bill.
The Opposition parties, which have divided mainly in two camps led by the BJP-led NDA and the Left, have so far not been able to check the government on any issue so far during the current session of Parliament.
The Opposition members might have spoken well on the issues of price rise, Bhopal gas tragedy or the alleged irregularities in the CWG but lack of floor coordiantion between the non-UPA parties on key issues placed the government in a comfortable position. On the other hand, the Samajwadi Party, BSP and the RJD have no choice but to back the government at least till the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. They are the supporting parties at the Centre but want to check the Congress in UP and Bihar.
The government’s key trouble shooter — Union finance minister and Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee — is virtually keeping the Opposition members in good humour to ensure passing of key bills in this session.
While his excellent rapport with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley has brought the BJP closer to the government on the civil liability for nuclear damage bill, his positive approach to the caste-based census kept the SP, BSP and the RJD in good humour and now the entire Parliament is backing Mr Mukherjee’s attempts to hike in salaries of Members of Parliament. He assured them that the government will bring a legislation in this session of Parliament itself. On land acquisition, he said: “A comprehensive (land acquisition) bill is being considered by a group of ministers.” He clarified the position after MPs accused state governments of acquiring land from farmers forcefully for private project developers.
The government has been on a sticky wicket on two issues — tension in Kashmir and Maoist activities — but its floor management has worked well so far mainly because the Opposition is lacking to provide an alternative.