As Cong withdraws ordinance, allies struggle to save face

Partners say PM, govt 'embarrassed' by Rahul Gandhi's rubbishing of decision

Even as the cabinet has decided on Wednesday to withdraw the proposal for an ordinance that had sought to protect convicted lawmakers, allies of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) such as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the National Conference are a miffed lot.

They say Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his government have been “hugely embarrassed” by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s public rubbishing of the ordinance a few days ago at a press conference.

While a drastic step like withdrawing from the alliance is unlikely, they are unhappy with the manner Gandhi expressed his views.

“As a responsible ally, we do not want to oppose anything in the cabinet and nor have we decided to pull out. But we are not pleased with the authoritarian way Rahul Gandhi has acted. We have to express our displeasure; after all we are an independent political party,” an NCP leader told Business Standard.

The Samajwadi Party (SP), which extends outside support to the UPA, has outrightly opposed the decision to withdraw the ordinance.

According to the NCP, despite assurances, the UPA coordination committee has not been summoned. “The coordination committee is the forum where we can express our grievances openly. The cabinet is not the place to do it,” said the NCP leader.

For the moment, NCP says the focus is on the ordinance and not on the Bill, which has been referred to a parliamentary standing committee.

National Conference, also part of the UPA government, is worried the government has become the butt of jokes and the PM made to look like effete. Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday described the ordinance drama as “unfortunate”. He said: “Rahul should have waited for the PM to come. He has been wrongly advised. I hope in future there will be better advisors for Rahul. Hope there will be better coordination with allies in future.”

Annoyed at the rollback of the ordinance, the Samajwadi Party has gone public with its disapproval. SP’s Rajya Sabha member Naresh Agrawal said: “Politicians will fight for people and then they will be debarred from contesting elections if they are held guilty. Then how will we work? This is a conspiracy against democracy. If the ordinance is withdrawn, it will be proved that one individual is bigger in the country and not the government." On Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the ordinance, Agrawal said: “The Prime Minister's stature stands undermined.”

Taking shots at the UPA’s U-turn, SP leader and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said the manner in which the ordinance was brought and was now being withdrawn hurriedly showed “the decision is being taken keeping elections in mind”.

Despite supporting UPA from the outside, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday met Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat, purportedly to discuss a national convention on “defence of secularism” on October 30. According to sources, the political fallout over the ordinance was also discussed.

VOICES OF DISSENT

* UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav (pictured) said the manner in which the ordinance was brought and was now being withdrawn hurriedly showed ‘the decision was being taken keeping elections in mind’

* An NCP leader said the party doesn’t want to oppose anything in the Cabinet or to pull out. But they were not pleased with the authoritarian way in which Rahul Gandhi acted

* Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday described the ordinance drama as ‘unfortunate’, adding that Gandhi should have waited for the PM to come.