Swaraj support finds few backers in BJP

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj took her party by surprise on Tuesday when she decided to back the government's move to suspend 8 Congress MPs for disrupting the House over the Telangana issue.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj took her party by surprise on Tuesday when she decided to back the government's move to suspend 8 Congress MPs for disrupting the House over the Telangana issue.

HT Image

"The last week of the first leg of the budget session was lost due to the Telangana issue," Swaraj said.

But senior BJP leaders questioned the move, wondering whether it would benefit the party. Others said they did not see much merit in their party coming to the aid of the government when it was an intra-Congress matter, especially since UPA allies Trinamool and NCP had refused support.

"When UPA allies had left the House, why did we have to remain silent," asked a senior leader from Andhra Pradesh.

"When the (agitating) Congress MPs are trying to save their skin because their high command has left them in the lurch, why should the BJP appear to support an action against them," said another leader.

The BJP was caught off guard more so because the party supports the creation of Telangana. LK Advani and Swaraj had recently addressed huge crowds in the region, pledging BJP's support for the cause. The party even won a seat in last month's bypolls, defeating the TRS.

But Swaraj said despite the support, she had no problem if the government had decided to suspend its MPs.

According to her, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and parliamentary affairs minister PK Bansal took her on board, saying repeated disruptions will not allow discussions on demands for grants of ministries scheduled in the next four days.