Opposition learns its unity can rattle intransigent government

General elections are due next year. But, the political heat is already up due to many factors. It is not just because of the Manipur issue or the Government of National Capital Territory (Amendment) Bill which is usually referred to as the Delhi Bill. The Manipur issue has been highlighted properly to draw not just national attention but also international attention. The Delhi Bill too has gained currency and finally landed into the common agenda of I.N.D.I.A.

What next? Are both issues going to be resolved in favour of the Opposition? This seemingly united Opposition, despite all its inherent differences, is holding together so far to counter the government in its political campaign appreciably. This has been the need of the hour since 2014 when the NDA came to power with a comfortable majority. The Opposition’s response has always been that the BJP has been whipping up Hindutva and dividing the society on various grounds. But, no one prevented the Opposition from coming together to fight the BJP’s alleged vicious propaganda. The above two issues have been firmed up as a common agenda by the Opposition, now forcing the BJP government to go in for a rethink on the same to some extent. Earlier, it was in no mood to listen to the demand of the Opposition or concede the ground even an inch. But now, it seems it has reconsidered its stand on both - debate on Manipur and Delhi Bill.

While the Manipur issue itself is bound to fester for a long time to come, even the impasse is hard to break due to electoral priorities. Whether the government would yield for discussion on the same under the provisions the Opposition seeks is difficult to measure. In the case of the Delhi Bill, it is a different story altogether. It is now learnt that the Centre is said to have made some key changes to the same before introducing it in the Parliament. Three major deletions have taken place now in the bill circulated to the MPs earlier. The draft bill to be tabled has an addition, too, to it which replaces the ordinance issued by the Centre in May to override a Supreme Court order that said the elected government in Delhi, not the Centre, has control over the transfer and appointments of bureaucrats in the capital.

The ordinance became a bone of contention between the BJP and the AAP leadership as it was set to erode the authority of an elected government despite the SC clearly establishing the rule that the Delhi Assembly and the Chief Minister’s Office would prevail over. The ordinance issued by the Centre restricted the Delhi Assembly from enacting any laws relating to ‘State Public Services and State Public Service Commission’. That part of the ordinance has been dropped in the bill. A new provision in the bill states that the Lieutenant Governor will make appointments to Boards and Commissions constituted by the Delhi government based on a panel of names recommended by the National Capital Civil Service Authority that will be headed by the Chief Minister of Delhi. If it is agreed upon, it would definitely be a good start for the opposition alliance. It will be a victory of sorts. Arvind Kejriwal will heave a sigh of relief. This grouping can double down on the unilateral attitude of the ruling party with new vigour.