Congress looks to attack Modi govt through well-researched facts

Devoid of numerical strength, the parliamentary party of the Congress has taken on the role of identifying critical issues, raising them and garnering support across the political spectrum on such issues. With this shift in approach, the party has beefed up its research and analysis role through a two-pronged strategy – a dedicated research team under former IIM Bangalore professor Rajeev Gowda (who used to head Public Policy research at IIM Bangalore). In addition to this, is the work that is being done by the "Shadow Cabinets" under senior Congress leaders tracking crucial ministries. The Veerappa Moily led team on Finance for instance has been monitoring issues and government response on Black money, Banking sector reforms, FDI thrust in various sectors, the workings of the Financial Sector Reforms Commission etc.

The thrust of all these research activities are aimed at providing Congress MPs more updated information and for the parliamentary party to haul up the BJP led government based on facts and figures.

The recently appointed research team under Rajeev Gowda, which has several young researchers working for it, has been working on reports on a range of issues including Anti - farmer policies of the NDA, how MSPs have been whittled down, the detailed objections to the Land Ordinance. A lot of focus is being given to the Land Ordinance issue as the Congress intends to rake up the issue in the upcoming Budget session in a big way, while the government wants to have the Ordinance cleared. In the last session, research reports of this team had bolstered up the arguments of several Congress MPs during Parliament debates.

The “Shadow Cabinets” have been meeting from time to time and brainstorming on issues concerning their designated areas. So the Moily led team on finance and commerce with Anand Sharma and Jyotiraditya Scindia as members, has in the run up to the Budget session flagged off critical areas of concern -  Black money, Banking sector reforms, FDI policy of the government etc.

The Congress has also been closely tracking the developments in the education sector and HRD Ministry– the saffronisation of the curriculum, confesses a committee member has emerged as a general matter of concern not just among them but among academic community as well. The committee headed by Mani Shankar Aiyar has also been interacting and brainstorming with faculty members and educationists. The interference of the HRD ministry in the functioning of autonomous institutions, the IITs etc, has been far more than that during the NDA rule under Atal Behari Vajpayee, says a committee member.

Contradicting the BJP led government’s claims on putting major focus on development of the North East region, the committee monitoring the functioning of the North East affairs (the DONER ministry) believes the government has been high on rhetoric and low on delivery. Skill development for better employment prospects for the English speaking young work force, threat of land erosion in Assam, revamping of the North East Council and DONER ministries – are issues that have not been addressed by the government according to the ‘shadow cabinet.”