Parties pad for RS polls, protests continue to disrupt Budget session

Parliament failed to conduct any business on Tuesday, the second consecutive day in the second part of the Budget session, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition, led by the Congress, continued to trade barbs on the Punjab National Bank scam. Outside the Houses, confabulations over the coming Rajya Sabha elections and the possibility of a Third Front or “federal front” marked the day.

Celebrating success in Tripura, Prime Minister Narenda Modi told the parliamentary party that it was an “ideological victory”. Slogans of “Jeet hamari jaari hai, ab Karnataka ki bari hai (Our winning run continues, now it’s Karnataka’s turn)” were heard. Elections in Karnataka, the last major Congress state, are slated for April.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi joined Telugu Desam Party at Jantar Mantar, where its members were staging a protest to demand special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Parties were also busy finalising the list of nominees to 58 seats of the Rajya Sabha, election for which will be held on March 23. The BJP hopes to inch closer to the halfway mark in the Upper House; other parties plan to cooperate among each other to prevent this.

Rahul Gandhi met state unit leaders to finalize the names of nominees. Ashok Gehlot could be sent to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati was unlikely to be her party’s candidate from Uttar Pradesh; it could send another senior leader.

But even amid the climate of cooperation, there was competition.

The Trinamool Congress believes its chief, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is best suited to be the leader of a “federal front”. She has been CM for seven years, and has had three things as a Union minister.

On Tuesday, Banerjee criticised the post-poll political violence in Tripura, attacks on Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers, and the demolition of a statue of Lenin, allegedly by BJP activists.

Congress, however, does not want to concede its position as the chief opposition party. United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has a called a meeting of Opposition parties on March 13, sources said.

Results of the by-elections in Phulpur, Gorakhpur, and Araria seats will be announced on March 14.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala ruled out the party withdrawing its candidates in Phulpur and Gorakhpur, to support Samajwadi Party, like the BSP has done.

Various protests disrupted work in both Houses of Parliament and this is likely to continue for the rest of the week.