Manipur, MSP, key Bills | BJP faces tough questions from NDA allies

The stage is set for a contentious Budget Session of Parliament. The ruling BJP is expected to face some tough questions not just from the Opposition but also from some of its own allies.

At an NDA meeting today, some voices of dissent were reportedly heard.

Even as President Droupadi Muru emphasised that the poor, middle class, youth and women are the focus areas of the government and the process of policy making would continue to make an effort to help this section of people, there was no mention of some of the crucial issues like peace in Manipur and legal MSP for farmers.

Farmers' protests

Murmu heaped praise on the Narendra Modi government for taking steps for the benefit of farmers, and mentioned in her speech to parliamentarians that the government had spent Rs 41,000 crore under the PM Kisan scheme.

In this background, the lack of mention of the constant tussle between the Union government and protesting farmers on the issue of a law to guarantee minimum support prices (MSP) was starkly felt.

Manipur issue

NDA partners have expressed the thought that the Union government must try and address the Manipur issue now, considering it has been suffering from violence for nearly two years now.

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“It is sad that violence has continued in Manipur. The challenge for the Union government is not just the conflict between the Meiti and Kuki communities; it's deeper. The Union government must announce a special package for Manipur because the violence has crippled the economy of the state,” Yumnam Joy Kumar, vice-president of the National People’s Party (NPP), told The Federal.

Pointing to a 'double-engine government', Kumar called for urgent steps to end the financial and other difficulties in the state. “Manipur is where the state government and Centre have BJP governments. Yet the state is facing difficulties and there is a shortage of funds even to clear the dues of government servants,” he said.

The NPP is a part of the North-East Democratic Alliance consisting of political parties of the North-East. It has supports the NDA.

Controversial Bills

The challenge to the BJP is not just from its allies in the North-East. A word of caution has come from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), which doesn’t want the BJP to rush through the One Nation, One Election Bill.

At both an all-party meeting and the NDA meeting, the JD(U) said the Union government must not push through the Bill, and that it needs greater consultation.

“We are not opposing the idea of One Nation, One Election. Nitish Kumar was the first NDA leader to support the idea and I met former President Ram Nath Kovind to convey support. However, our suggestion is that this is an important Bill and it should not be passed in haste. The JD-U wants greater consultation and consensus on One Nation One Election and the Uniform Civil Code. We want the BJP to agree to a larger discussion on the issue,” KC Tyagi, senior leader of the JD-U, told The Federal.

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But not all is lost for the BJP, as most allies support passing the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill.

“The suggestions given by JDU and other NDS partners have been accepted by the JPC and these suggestions will be reflected in the Bill. The NDA is united in support of its passage,” Tyagi added.

Pro-women policies

Political analysts feel that while the Opposition may try to corner the BJP in the Budget session by raising some crucial issues, the Centre will concentrate on women centric development and welfare schemes for the poor.

“There is a definite shift towards the women as the BJP has succeeded in making women centric development an agenda in the elections. All the populist schemes have focussed on women. Similarly, the financially weaker sections are also a priority area for the government,” Yatindra Singh Sisodia, author and director at the Madhya Pradesh Institute of Social Science Research in Ujjain, told The Federal.