Parliamentary affairs team changed for better results

NEW DELHI: Failure to get crucial legislation, like Goods and Services Tax Bill, passed in the Rajya Sabha and faced with frequent deadlocks in the Lower House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone in for an overhaul of his team of ministers handling parliamentary affairs in a bid to get the opposition on board and ensure better results.

Ahead of the crucial monsoon session of Parliament, Modi has moved out M Venkaiah Naidu from the parliamentary affairs ministry. Though a veteran leader, Naidu was seen as being too aggressive and in the process antagonising the opposition. His quick repartees were liked by all but failed to win over the Congress and Left parties to support government business.

With the experience of the last two years in office, Modi appears to have realised that a change is required to improve government’s strike rate. Ananth Kumar, known as a good organisation man, is likely to be more successful in convincing the Opposition on several issues The post of parliamentary affairs requires a leader who has a good rapport with all parties. The party feels Kumar, who is soft-spoken and persuasive in his attitude, suits the bill.

Modi has also removed Rajiv Pratap Rudy from the post of minister of state for parliamentary affairs. Rudy was handling the government matters in the Lok Sabha. Despite the government having a brute majority in the Lower House, the Opposition would manage to stall proceedings on several occasions.

Passing Bills with use of its strength and not taking the Opposition along on most occasions was getting a bad name to the government. Rudy has been replaced by SS Ahluwalia, a former

Congress leader and fifth term MP. Ahluwalia was very effective as deputy leader of BJP in the Rajya Sabha when the party was in Opposition. He knows the art of going soft or hardening his stance as per the need of the hour. Being a veteran politician, he also has good equations with senior leaders of other parties. Modi hopes to better the strike rate of the government in Parliament with these changes.