Parliament forecast: Stormy times ahead

The monsoon session starts on Monday -- here are some of the issues that it is likely to face.

Amendment to Parliament (prevention of disqualification) Act, 1959: The Office of Profit bill, exempting over 50 posts from disqualification, has its genesis in Jaya Bachchan’s disqualification following a Congressman’s petition. President APJ Abdul Kalam returned the Bill for Parliament's reconsideration -- a point the BJP wants to exploit. The Government doesn’t want a confrontation with the President yet wants him to pass the Bill as it is.

HT Image

Price Rise: The Government will get it right and left -- as well as from some of its own UPA allies, including Congressmen -- on the rising prices of foodgrains, petrol and diesel, which directly hit the aam aadmi. The BJP will use the issue to drive a wedge among UPA partners.

Internal Security: The Mumbai/Srinagar blasts and the Dantewara killings highlighted the twin threats the country faces from terrorism and Naxalism. The Government will want a unified response to the ‘national’ challenge, but the Opposition will drive home the UPA’s failure to secure the nation. However, the BJP could find itself in the dock over the Kandahar episode that has surfaced in collective memory with former foreign minister Jaswant Singh’s book A Call to Honour.

Quota-in-education: The call for quotas -- whether in legislatures, educational institutions or the private sector -- threatens to divide the House. HRD Minister Arjun Singh wants 27 per cent reservations in education, though the Bill is likely to be introduced only after the Moily Committee submits its report. And if this Bill gets through, expect a renewed demand for the Women’s Reservation bill as well.

Foreign and Economic policy: These are issues that are expected to be raised by the Left, the UPA’s outside supporters. The BJP will probably silently watch the coalition partners slug it out.

No trust motion: The BJP is thinking of bringing a no-confidence motion against the Manmohan Singh government to highlight the latter’s failures and reaffirm its own role as the main Opposition. The move is likely to come at the fag end of the Monsoon session. Though it would make the UPA allies close ranks, the BJP may have the satisfaction of seeing some of them take a swipe or two at the Government.