Bhartruhari Mahtab: Master in managing government, Opposition equations

NEW DELHI: Bhartruhari Mahtab, parliamentary party leader of Biju Janata Dal, has a front-row seat in the Lok Sabha that strategically places him between the Opposition and ruling NDA benches.

That is also symbolic of his party’s pronounced “equidistance” between Congress and BJP, which gives the 20-member BJD group in the Lok Sabha a political manoeuvring space to keep the two principal rivals guessing about its moves during crucial battles in the house.

To many, the articulate Mahtab by now has mastered the art of deftly changing plots to strategically tilt the balance of the government-opposition tug-of-war at crucial junctures.

So few missed the strategic importance of Mahtab moving a motion, demanding to know why the “delay” in investigations and charge-sheeting in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

His move had multiple fallouts: it lent weight to AIADMK member’s solo play on the same issue; it threw spanner in Congress and allies’ push for privileges motions against HRD minister Smriti Irani; and, equally importantly, it gave the ruling side the much needed opening to counter Congress with a discussion on P Chidambaram and his son.

Understandably, Congress and allies alleged that BJD and AIADMK were in a secret pact with the government to divert the attention. But Mehtab was totally unfazed.

He targeted Chidambaram and his son, and then did a deft ‘balancing act’ by accusing the NDA government and Congress of indulging a match-fixing. “Why no FIR has been lodged? Is the Congress and BJP bargaining with each other? Is the BJP and the Congress doing match-fixing in this case?” he said.

As Congress MPs raised slogans near Mahtab’s seat, the speaker was conspicuously generous in allowing him to move to another seat to speak without disturbance.

“The point is the 2G scam, the Aircell-Maxis deal (and) all are being increasingly faded out of focus. My party is determined to bring it back to the focus,” Mahtab told ET.

About Trinamool Congress members protesting the chair allowing his motion in the middle of discussion on the motion of thanks on president’s address, Mahtab said, “Trinamool Congress wants to humour Congress due to the Bengal polls. Mind you, soon after BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi started discussion on the motion of thanks on President’s address, the Congress was allowed to raise the incidents in campuses. May be that suited the government then.”

Even during the session eve allparty meeting, Mahtab fired a googly that hit Congress and allies’ plans with JNU and other issues. He said “the conspiracy to stall Parliament proceedings” amounted to “eating into the basic structure” of parliamentary democracy.

“The BJD is against disruption and for effective debate and legislation. Congress disrupted past sessions, raising Vyapam, Lalit Modi issues, etc. Why is it now keeping mum on those issues? It shows the intention was only to disrupt Parliament,” he said.

Critics say due to BJD’s turf-war with Congress in Odisha, it would rather help BJP than allow Congress’ agenda to gain momentum.

BJD had also refused to join the Congress and other Opposition parties over their walkout/protest over issues such as land bill and GST,, ensuring some “participating opposition” for house and government.