The INDIA coalition is preparing to have full attendance in Rajya Sabha for a showdown with the government over the Delhi services bill.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not have a majority in Rajya Sabha, so it looks forward to support from non-aligned parties for the passage of Delhi services bill.
The INDIA coalition is preparing to have full attendance in Rajya Sabha for a showdown with the government over the Delhi services bill.
From issuing whips to arranging ambulances for ailing MPs, the 26 Opposition parties are working to ensure they have full attendance when the Delhi services bill is taken up in the Upper House next week.
Unlike the Lok Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not have a clear majority in Rajya Sabha. The government has to therefore rely on support of parties not aligned with either the government or the Opposition. As per the figures on the Rajya Sabha website, the BJP has 92 seats against the majority-mark of 120.
The majority-mark is 120 as some seats are vacant, so the house is not at full strength.
The Delhi services bill, which was first introduced as an ordinance, was key to attempts at Opposition unity. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal crisscrossed the country to meet leading Opposition leader to muster support over the issue.
To ensure a show of full strength over the Delhi services bill, the Opposition is preparing to have 100 per cent attendance.
Some senior Opposition leaders have not been well lately, but arrangements are being made to ensure their presence in Rajya Sabha to stack up numbers.
Besides whips to ensure voting as per the party line, the Opposition parties have also arranged ambulances for ailing leaders, reported PTI. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 90, and former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren, 79, are among such leaders.
"Sources said former prime minister Manmohan Singh (90), who is ill, is likely to come to the House in a wheelchair, while former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren (79), who is also unwell and has largely withdrawn from public life, has already arrived in the national capital in anticipation of the voting on the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Soren is likely to be brought to the House just before the voting," reported PTI.
Sources told PTI that Janata Dal-United's (JD-U) Bashistha Narain Singh, 75, is likely to arrive in Parliament in an ambulance.
Among various parties, the Congress and the Janata Dal (United) have already issued whips to their respective members to be present in the House, reported PTI.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is called the Delhi services bill in common parlance. It replaces an earlier ordinance.
In May, the Centre promulgated an ordinance to crate the National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) for transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre, which effectively undid a Supreme Court order earlier that month that gave control of the Delhi’s bureaucracy to the elected government in all matters except policing, public order, and land.
The AAP opposed the ordinance, which has for years sought greater power in Delhi's unique governance model and has complained over the years that the Centre interferes in the government's working through he Lieutenant Governor.
The AAP government has challenged the ordinance in the Supreme Court and the matter is pending before a Constitution bench.
Unlike the Lok Sabha, the BJP does not have majority in the Rajya Sabha. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), where non-BJP constituents have minimal presence, has 100 MPs in Rajya Sabha.
The INDIA coalition, on the other hand, has 101 MPs, according to PTI.
As both the BJP and Opposition do not have clear majority in Rajya Sabha, they would need to rely on support from non-aligned parties. Among them, Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) with seven MPs is likely to vote against the bill and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) with its nine MPs may support the bill, reported PTI, adding that the BJP would also look for support from Biju Janta Dal (BJP) which has voted with the government in the past.
The Opposition also looks forward to a debate on the bill. On Friday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh spoke to Leader of the House Piyush Goyal, requesting him to ensure that the government inform members well in advance before bringing the Delhi services bill to replace the ordinance, reported PTI.
O'Brein and Ramesh pointed out that the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill was brought in 2019 without giving the Opposition parties time to formulate their stand on it, reported PTI, adding that they also informed him that there were many senior leaders who would come to the House only to vote.
O'Brien and some other Opposition leaders have already written to the Rajya Sabha chairman that the ordinance was a serious issue and requested him to let them know in advance about the Bill, report PTI, adding that they also urged him to ensure that it is not brought in a supplementary list of business.
"If this Bill springs up in the List of Business, there will be no way to ensure that there is enough opportunity for thorough debate and scrutiny of this important legislation.Also, it will not allow all parties to ensure that ALL members (including those with serious medical conditions restricted to a stretcher or wheelchair and have to be transported by ambulance from hospital or residence) are present in Rajya Sabha on that day. An informal one-day notice will be appreciated so that we can bring these members to the chamber for voting," O'Brien said in his letter, reported PTI.
Sauces told PTI that the INDIA bloc has decided that they want a discussion on the Delhi services bill and they plan to use all the time allotted for discussion.
"Win, lose or draw, we are going for a vote. Let parties stand up and show us whether they are with the Constitution or doing deals with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," O'Brien said on being asked about the numbers in Rajya Sabha, as per PTI