The Lok Sabha on Monday cleared the Telecom Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, the first step to removing the legal hurdles in ex-TRAI chief Nripendra Misra’s appointment as the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary.
The government successfully mobilised support from among the opposition for the Bill in the House, where it not only secured the backing of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, but also ensured that the Trinamool Congress, which had opposed the Bill’s introduction on Friday, did a volte-face on Monday and supported the Bill.
As a result, the Congress, the Left Parties, the RJD and the Aam Aadmi Party, stood marginalised in their opposition to the Bill. A key United Progressive Alliance ally, the Nationalist Congress Party, had already announced support for the Bill last week.
On Friday, the Trinamool’s Saugata Roy had opposed the Bill’s introduction and his name was officially listed on Monday – with the Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury — to “disapprove” the promulgation of the ordinance that preceded the Bill. Mr Roy, however, did a no-show and party colleague Sudip Bandopadhyay, instead, spoke in favour of the Bill.
Mr Roy’s explanation for the change of heart was that he “had some work and couldn’t be present in the House.” Mr Bandopadhyay, however, said Mr Roy’s views differed from the party’s official line to support the government. BJP sources, meanwhile, confirmed that Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.Venkaiah Naidu had spoken to leaders of the Trinamool Congress, NCP, DMK, AIADMK, BJD, SP, BSP and the Congress, seeking support for the Bill.
Opposition sources told The Hindu that there was a clear signal that “supporting” the government would ensure better cooperation between the Centre and these parties, especially those in power in the states.
During the debate, while the Congress, the RSP and the AAP opposed the Bill, the AIADMK and the Trinamool backed it. The BJD was ambivalent: it had already walked out of the House to protest against the government’s ramming through the Polavaram Bill.
The passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday is now certain.
