Narendra Modi's elevation hits BJP’s capacity to rally opposition parties

NEW DELHI: The emergence of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as BJP’s presumptive prime ministerial candidate seems to have inadvertently created a relatively productive start to the monsoon session.There have been some skirmishes and brief adjournments in the first two days but it has been very much unlike the second leg of the budget session.

Government and leaders of Opposition parties have reiterated their desire for fruitful debates, discussion and lawmaking. BJP is even engaged with the government on the Insurance Bill, even while giving up floor coordination with non-NDA Opposition.

“BJP’s projection of Narendra Modi and the party embarking on a hardcore Hindutva plank have resulted in it losing allies like JD(U). It is clear whenever BJP moves into hard-core communal agenda, the party gets more and more isolated. We have no plans for a floor-coordination with Modi-led BJP. Understandably, BJP this time is not even trying for a floor co-ordination with us or other non-NDA opposition parties,” CPM Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury told ET.

CPI’s D Raja added, “BJP is now not only led by Modi but even openly driven by the RSS and its communal agenda. There is no question of us coordinating with the Modi-led BJP inside or outside Parliament. During the session the Left will raise issues like anti-poor economic policies, the questionable pricing policy of gas, food bill, inflation etc. We have no plans to have a floorstrategy with BJP. We also don’t share BJP’s sectarian approach on issues like Uttarakhand tragedy and the Bodh Gaya incident. There may be some issues that all Opposition parties may raise. That is only coincidental.”

Targeted by UPA and non-NDA parties over elevation of Modi, BJP has lost its capacity to rally the entire Opposition against the government as it did in previous sessions, another leader said. “The fact elections are only eight months away have also made many parties conscious of the company they keep,” he said.

This new political choreography was visible on Tuesday afternoon when BJP found itself alone in protesting the ‘toothless statement’ of Defence Minister AK Antony. Though it forced an adjournment, Left, SP, BJD, JD(U), RJD, TDP, JD(S), DMK and even Trinamool Congress and AIADMK looked the other way.