BJP: where it stands on legislation

12 day winter session of Parliament which began on Dec 5, has 29 bills pending, while five other new bills are likely to be tabled

The emphatic win of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Assembly elections is likely to have an impact on the strategy of the party in Parliament. This could mean that the support of the BJP will be harder to get for the government to pass crucial bills. 

 

Yashwant Sinha, a former finance minister in the NDA government, has already hinted that investors should have little hope in the coming six months. “I would ask market participants and others expecting legislative support from us: Wait for few months. We will bring in reforms. Why leave it to the Congress, which is in its dying throes anyway,” Sinha said. 

 

The 12-day long winter session of Parliament, which began on December 5, has 29 Bills pending, while another five new Bills will be tabled. Business Standard presents a few of these Bills, and the BJP’s position on them:

 

Bills in the Winter Session

 

1. The Direct Taxes Code Bill, 2010: Replaces laws relating to direct taxes with a single law. 

 

Status: Pending in Lok Sabha, where it was first tabled.

 

BJP’s stance: BJP’s support is crucial in LS. Last week, Finance Minister P Chidambaram reached out to BJP’s Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitely.

 

The BJP has not made its stance clear on  this legislation. The Finance Minister when asked on BJP’s support said, “They said they will consider and get back to us.” 

 

2. The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008: Raises the FDI cap in insurance sector to 49%. Allows foreign re-insurers and nationalised general insurance companies to raise funds from the capital market. 

 

Status: Introduced in Rajya Sabha, where it is pending passage.

 

BJP’s stance: The BJP is unlikely to support the government in the passage of this Bill. The Yashwant Sinha-headed Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance had recommended that FDI should be retained at 26%, which is the present level. Without the BJP’s support the Bill will not pass.

 

3. Women Reservation Bill:  Provides for reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. Needs a Constitutional amendment.

 

Status: Passed by Rajya Sabha in March 2010. Pending in Lok Sabha.
 

BJP’s stance: The BJP is not in-principle opposed to this Bill. But, government’s headache in this case is not the BJP, but its own ally – Samajwadi Party. The SP has in the past vehemently opposed the Bill.

 

4. Reservation in promotion to SCs and STs with retrospective effect: Needs a Constitutional amendment.

 

Status: Passed by Rajya Sabha. Pending in Lok Sabha.

 

BJP’s stance: BJP supported the government during the passage of the Bill in Rajya Sabha. However, like the women reservations Bill, SP is opposed to this legislation.

 

5. Changes in the process of appointing judges to higher judiciary: Replaces the collegium system with a Judicial Appointments Commission, on whose recommendation the President will appoint judges.
 

Status: Passed by Rajya Sabha. Pending in Lok Sabha.
 

BJP’s stance: BJP supports this legislation. It has, however, warned the government to avoid a ‘knee jerk’ reaction. On BJP’s protest the Bill was referred to a Parliamentary standing committee.