Milind G
With Mulayam Singh and Mayawati walking out, the UPA government won in the Lok Sabha voting on FDI. 253 MPs voted for the government policy and 218 voted against. Again it was a game of numbers, which had the opposition stumped and tearing its hair out after it lost yet again in the trial of strength.
BJP and opposition members shouted hoarse it’s CBI versus FDI, as SP and BSP bailed out the government. But BJP should realize Congress is well acquainted with man management, or say party management. Due credit should be given to the Congress floor managers. They seem to be doing their homework in arithmetic judiciously. BJP and the opposition are left wondering that when 261 MPs opposed FDI, but only 218 voted against it. Congress is a past master in the number game and has always succeeded in the numerous trial of strength in the house since nuclear deal vote.
Now instead of trying to find ways to embarrass the government, BJP should take this opportunity to set their own house in order as the Nitin Gadkari’s corruption charge is going to work against the party where many senior leaders of the party are saying it will have an impact on the elections. The BJP leadership is happy to ignore the issue and hide behind the success they expect from Narendra Modi in Gujarat. The question is will Nitin Gadkari get a second term and if not, who will replace him?
The left and other small parties are clueless after the vote. Trinamool Congress and Mamta Banerjee is in denial mode and making pronouncements the UPA government will fall, but on the contrary the moves by BJP and the others in opposition have helped Congress to consolidate and consistently defy numerical odds to beat the opposition. The UPA has won this round. UPA must use its Lok Sabha victory to push through reforms and end policy paralysis. The UPA has done well to signal its resolve on reform. Will BJP and the left be the stumbling block for the government?
