Adityanath sails through UP Budget as Oppn leaders fail to corner govt

Opposition leaders failed to put Yogi in the dock over law and order issues, sugarcane arrears

A spineless Opposition has provided the Yogi Adityanath government with a virtual cakewalk in the ongoing Budget session in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

The state government, which was on a sticky wicket due to issues of law and order, sugarcane arrears of over Rs 2,500 crore, and potholed roads when the session began on July 11, turned the tables on the Opposition with its crop loan waiver of Rs 36,000 crore and by raking up alleged cases of corruption related to the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) regime.

Further, the discovery of a white powder-like substance, alleged to be an explosive substance called PETN, in the UP Assembly last week shifted the popular narrative from the Yogi regime’s performance to security and an alleged conspiracy against the state government.

While the Opposition benches are critically short of strength, numbering merely 78 in the 403 member UP Assembly, they also lacked high-calibre leaders with the oratory skills required to put the government in the dock.

The principal Opposition, the SP, did not have its top leaders like Akhilesh Yadav, Azam Khan, and Shivpal Singh Yadav taking up cudgels against the Adityanath government. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), for its part, has lost its most prominent leaders, such as Swami Prasad Maurya and Naseemuddin Siddiqui, over desertions.

Although Azam and Shivpal are SP legislators, they have not been taking part in the Assembly proceedings, while Akhilesh is a member of the legislative council, the Lower House. Maurya is now a minister in the BJP government and Naseemuddin is exploring his independent political journey after leaving his parent party BSP over leadership issues with party supremo Mayawati.

Congress is bereft of its longest serving legislator and authority on legislative affairs, Pramod Tiwari, since he is now a Rajya Sabha member.

On Wednesday, while participating in Budget discussions, Chief Minister Adityanath assumed his characteristic assertive demeanour to counter the Opposition's charges over law and order issues. He not only defended his government's performance but also handed out implicit and explicit warnings about making days tougher for those allegedly conspiring to defame his government or sheltering criminals.

Yogi’s tough posturing and statements did not go down well with the SP and other parties, who accused the CM of belligerence not behooving the high office of the leader of the state Assembly.

The victory of NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential polls further frustrated Opposition unity in UP after it came to light that he received a total of 335 votes from the UP Assembly even though the BJP and its allies only have a total strength of 325 legislators. This means that 10 members from the Opposition camp cross voted. This has entrenched the success of Yogi and his floor managers in attracting votes from the rival turf.

Meanwhile, the entire Opposition on Friday boycotted the Assembly proceedings and did not participate in discussions. In the absence of Opposition members, the Yogi government passed all departmental Budgets, except for the home and general administration departments, before the House was adjourned till Monday.

The Budget of the two departments is likely to be passed on July 24 and later the House could be adjourned sine die since the Opposition is firm on its boycott.