BJP, allies in a fix on food security bill

The BJP and NDA leadership seemed to be speaking in different voices on Monday as the government mulled a special session of Parliament to pass the proposed food security law.

The BJP and NDA leadership seemed to be speaking in different voices on Monday as the government mulled a special session of Parliament to pass the proposed food security law.

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The BJP has walked a tight rope on the Bill, not opposing the bill but not wanting the government to walk away with the credit so close to the polls. So, while opposing the ordinance route – which would mean the government claiming sole credit – the BJP has officially supported preponing the monsoon session of Parliament to discuss the Bill.

The government, however, seems undecided. But what’s the difference? “A preponed monsoon session will see discussions on this Bill but will ensure that other pressing issues are also discussed. But the government wants to run away from its scams and divert attention,” said a BJP leader.

The idea: rather than a dedicated session, the BJP would want the parallel attack on the government on corruption to continue. A day after Sushma Swaraj tweeted that the monsoon session be held sooner, Rajnath Singh and Rajiv Pratap Rudy took the same line. But, veteran BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and Yashwant Sinha hit out at the Bill itself.

Bihar CM and key NDA ally Nitish Kumar supported the food Bill in principle with the caveat that the Centre bear the additional financial burden.