Congress brass threatens Parliament dissolution

The government is prepared to threaten early elections if the opposition continues to block Parliament in the coming Budget session.

The government’s chief manager, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, met some constituents of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) late tonight and said the logjam had damaged India’s reputation. The opposition’s insistence on a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the 2G spectrum scam was both misplaced and unhelpful in getting to the truth.

This continued obstruction of Parliament was not tenable. If things continued like this in the Budget session as well, the government would have no option but to pass the budget and call for mid-term elections.

Clearly sabre-rattling for effect, secure in the knowledge that no opposition party is ready for an election so early into the 15th Lok Sabha, Mukherjee said the Congress party had nothing to lose. It would return in larger numbers, as it had done between 2004 (153 seats) and 2009 (208) seats. It was the Bharatiya Janata Party’s seats which had been coming down. He said the Left parties were totally unprepared for another general election. The net gain would be the Congress’ and even some UPA allies would fall by the wayside.

Those present at the meeting were Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Bennerji and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Dayanidhi Maran. The other constituents of the UPA are to meet Mukherjee and other Congress leaders after the winter session of parliament ends on Monday.