Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad
The reluctance on the part of some opposition parties to sign on an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra seems to have delayed the entire process. While Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is collecting the signatures, remain tight-lipped, sources said that parties like the DMK and Trinamool Congress have not yet signed on the motion. Several Congress, Left and NCP MPs have already signed. The Congress is keen that the opposition remain united on the issue. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, met Azad in Parliament. The Congress too appeared divided, with some of the leaders not in favour of bringing an impeachment motion against the CJI.
Eye On South
As the BJP is focusing on the south to grab more seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it has become imperative for the ruling party to provide representation from these states in the ruling establishment. It is with this in mind that the BJP ensured representation from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and even Kerala (where BJP does not have any Lok Sabha MP) in the Union government. Though Secunderabad (Telangana) MP Bandaru Dattatreya was dropped from the government in the last reshuffle, the Centre had representation from Telugu-speaking Andhra Pradesh in the form of ministers from TDP. With TDP quitting the alliance, there is no representation from Andhra Pradesh, even though the BJP has two Lok Sabha MPs from that state. Though Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is a Marathi, is a Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh, political circles are agog whether Andhra Pradesh will get more representation in the central government.
Note Of Caution
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee has alleged “match-fixing” between the BJP and AIADMK in disruption of Parliament and expressed disgruntlement over the fact that the only voice being recorded in the Lower House is that of the parliamentary affairs minister. He even vented his frustration publicly. But, realising that it may amount to criticising the Speaker, he had to add a caveat to his outburst that he was not casting aspersions on the Speaker.