Delhi services control Bill may clear Rajya Sabha easily, courtesy YSRCP

The Centre’s contentious Bill on control of services in Delhi is likely to clear both Parliament Houses, thanks to YSR Congress Party.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party has also decided to support the NDA government in Parliament on the no-confidence motion moved on Wednesday (July 26) by the Congress on the Manipur violence issue.

Also read: Congress supports AAP’s fight against Delhi ordinance ahead of Opposition meet

The YSRCP has nine Rajya Sabha MPs and 22 Lok Sabha MPs. The government does not have a majority in Rajya Sabha. But with the YSRCP support, it can easily get the controversial Bill cleared in the Upper House.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to replace an ordinance that hands control of Delhi’s bureaucratic services to the Centre. The Centre issued the ordinance to override a Supreme Court order that held that gave the power of transfer and appointments of bureaucrats to the elected government in Delhi.

NDTV quoted YSRCP leader V Vijaysai Reddy as saying that the party would “vote in favour of the government on both issues”. Reddy reportedly conveyed his decision on the party backing the Bill to his MPs over the weekend.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in government in Delhi, has been meeting representatives of all parties, requesting them to vote against the Bill as it undermines the elected Delhi government, as well as the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Reddy told Hindustan Times that the party would have backed the AAP had Delhi been a full-fledged state. However, some party MPs reportedly told the newspaper that the party wasn’t comfortable siding with the Congress, with which Reddy had a famous fallout.

Also read: AAP’s Raghav Chadha to RS chairman: Bill replacing Delhi ordinance unconstitutional

With this, the NDA has a majority of 123 votes in the House of 237 members, while the Opposition alliance is expected to get 108 votes. The Biju Janata Dal, with its nine MPs, may also vote in NDA’s support, reported HT, though it is still reportedly undecided.

Telangana’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s (BRS) seven MPs will likely vote against the Bill. The party has issued a whip requesting all party MPs to vote against the Bill to replace the ordinance on Delhi services.