The Bharatiya Janata Party is reaching out to all political parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, for passage of Bills in the Rajya Sabha, said Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of State of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Tuesday. The BJP-led NDA does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha.
Speaking to The Hindu in Coimbatore on Tuesday, he said that as part of its strategy for passage of bills in the Upper House, the BJP had got in touch with the AIADMK, Biju Janata Dal, All India Trinamool Congress and other parties that were not part of any alliance.
The three parties among them had 31 seats in the Upper House — the AIADMK and TMC 12 seats each and the BJD seven.
It had even reached out to the Congress in the past – the Prime Minister had invited the Congress president and vice-president in an effort to break the ice, he said.
The BJP would continue to work with the AIADMK in this regard and it should not be construed as a political alliance.
Mr. Javadekar also said that the BJP was not unduly worried about the numbers in the Rajya Sabha as it was changing. The BJP would be able to gain a few more seats in the days to come. He along with the party’s national general secretary Muralidhar Rao was in Coimbatore to explain the Central Government’s two years’ achievements to workers.
‘This should not be construed as a political alliance’
