Assembly polls 2013: Lame-duck UPA government may turn to populism, shelve reforms

NEW DELHI: The dismal show by Congress in the state elections is likely to render the UPA a lame-duck government, making it difficult to push through key bills and vital policy changes ahead of the 2014 national polls.

Experts say the limited room for manoeuvre for the Manmohan Singh government comes at a time when urgent policy measures are needed to revive sentiment and steer the economy out of slowdown. “I don’t see any major change in the way Parliament has functioned in the past two years,” said N R Bhanumurthy, professor at the National Institute for Public Finance and Policy.

A fresh round of “policy paralysis” is also not ruled out against the backdrop of the 2014 polls and a resurgent opposition. “The policy scenario will remain as it has been for the last few years. For most of the legislative business, the government has to depend on the opposition parties. I don’t see any change,” said Devendra Pant, chief economist at IndiaRatings.

The government has indicated it wants to push the communal violence bill, which may face stiff opposition. UPA managers are also planning to push the wom en’s reservation bill, which is ve hemently opposed by government supporters such as SP and RJD.

While the government would like to get key legislations such as the insurance bill and the di rect tax code bill passed, the focus may shift to populist bills such as Lokpal and women’s reservation The UPA can still hope for the pas sage of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill — which propos es to replace the collegium system of appointing judges with a com mission — in the winter session.