Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 22: The Opposition would go all out to “exploit ideological differences” within the ruling coalition partners including PDP and BJP in the upcoming budget session of the Legislature, beginning January 2 while the ruling Alliance would adopt its strategy at a joint meeting of the legislators to be chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, a couple of days ahead of the session but the two parties were unanimous to put up united face in both Houses to counter the “propaganda” of political rivals.
Insiders within the ruling Alliance and Opposition parties told the Excelsior that all indications pointed towards another stormy session of the Legislature with Opposition parties including National Conference, Congress and smaller groups, a couple of Independent MLAs, leaving no chance unturned to corner the coalition Government by “exploiting differences” between the two and highlighting what they called “governance deficit” and “failure to implement assurances” made during past three years and Agenda of Alliance, which was reached between the PDP and BJP before formation of the Government.
Significantly, the BJP MLAs, some of whom have openly been airing their grievances against the State Government especially their own Ministers, have decided that they wouldn’t refrain from highlighting “problems and miseries” being suffered by the people of their constituencies even if they pertained to the Ministries of their own party leaders.
“There can be no compromise with problems the people in our constituencies are facing especially on the account of development. We will highlight them in the Assembly as our mandate permits us to do so. Moreover, some of the Ministers are not meeting legislators to listen to their problems and, therefore, the Assembly is proper forum to raise the issues,” a couple of BJP MLAs, who were upset with functioning of their Ministers, said.
Sources said the Opposition MLAs have decided to rake up “governance deficit, Kashmir situation, unfulfilled promises during the past three years and in the Agenda of Alliance, development inertia, failure of the Government to provide basic amenities to the people including power, water, ration, roads and other public services and denting credibility of institutions”.
Asserting that the Government has “failed to deliver” and was making only “tall promises”, the Opposition parties also planned to “exploit differences” between the two coalition partners (PDP and BJP) in the Legislature to corner them as this trick had worked successfully for them during last budget session.
It may be mentioned here that Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta had adjourned the House sine die on February 1, about a week ahead of the schedule as differences between the PDP and BJP had surfaced openly after Gupta had expunged remarks of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti pertaining to Article 370.
However, aware of the Opposition tactics, the ruling coalition partners this time were well versed with the NC and Congress techniques and have decided to put up “united face” in both Houses of the Legislature and counter Opposition propaganda effectively. But insiders in the two parties admitted that there were some issues on which there were differences between the two parties like abrogation of Article 35A of the Constitution of India, which defines State Subject Law, whose existence has been challenged in the Supreme Court by an RSS backed NGO.
Ouster of Rohingyas from Jammu and Samba districts was another issue on which the two Alliance partners differ. A number of BJP MLAs have themselves tabled questions on certain “controversial issues” on which the two ruling parties have differences, which clearly indicated that some of the MLAs were not in “good terms” with their own Ministers and wanted to embarrass them in the Legislature.
However, the Alliance partners would meet under the leadership of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, a couple of days ahead of the session to decide strategy for budget session of the Legislature, sort out the differences, if any, on important issues and ask their legislators to stay united in both the Houses.
Prior to the joint meeting, the PDP and BJP will also hold their separate Legislature Party meetings.
Similarly, the Opposition parties including the National Conference and Congress will also hold their Legislature Party meetings to draw out strategy for the budget session to grill the Government.
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