The current mood in the Opposition is not in favour of the government either on its draft Lokpal bill or its attempt to isolate the civil society group led by Anna Hazare.
While the NDA has kept the issue open whether or not to attend an all-party meeting called by the government here on Sunday, the rest of the Opposition is likely to question the Centre’s very intention.
The BJP-led NDA has called its meeting here on July 2 to decide whether or not to attend the Sunday meeting. “This is the only agenda before us,” well-placed sources in the NDA said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s comment that the Prime Minister could be under the ambit of the Lokpal appears to have compelled the NDA to review its strategy inside and outside Parliament.
Biju Janata Dal leader and MP Bhartruhari Mahtab on Thursday told this newspaper that his party will not attend the Sunday meeting. He asked what is the basis of the discussion.
“We cannot discuss in thin air,” he said. The BJD has 14 members in the Lok Sabha.
TDP leader Nama Nageswara Rao said the floor leaders of the party in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will be attending the all-party meeting. But the party’s stand on the two drafts will be finalised at a meeting to be held in Hyderabad on Saturday.
The BJD, the TDP and the Left generally work together inside Parliament.
The Rashtriya Lok Dal, led by Ajit Singh, will attend the meeting. “Chaudharysaab has gone to Chennai to meet AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa and will be back on Friday,” said his aide.
The BSP is expected to decide its strategy in the next 48 hours.
Though the Mayawati-led party is backing the Manmohan Singh government from outside, it has become the main target of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.
The CPI is yet to decide on participating in Sunday’s meeting.
It’s general secretary A.B. Bardhan said that his party was still considering the issue of participation to discuss the bill.
“We are thinking. Our party’s top leadership will decide on it,” Mr Bardhan told reporters, The Janata Dal(U) is also non-committal on attending the all-party meeting.