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To get its way in the Rajya Sabha, where the Opposition is in majority, the Congress's strategy is simple: Ask for wider consultation and demand every Bill be sent to a parliamentary committee for discussion. This has ominous implications for the National Democratic Alliance government's legislative agenda.
"If it is a new Bill, we will ask that it be sent to a standing committee. If it is one that has been passed by the Lok Sabha, we will ask it be referred to a select committee. If it was introduced in the Rajya Sabha, we will ask it be referred to a joint select committee. The bottom line is if changes are being made in legislation, we will simply not allow Bills to be passed until we are satisfied," said a senior member of Parliament from the Congress.
For instance, on the constitutional amendment Bill for a goods and services tax, Congress MPs say it is not Congress-ruled states but those ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party that are opposed. "The Bill has profound implications for the way taxes will be shared. Gujarat has doubt over whether it will get adequate compensation and over what period of time. We will urge the government to pay more attention to a state the ruling party is running," said the Congress leader.
Also, the Congress is clear it will not allow the government to filibuster and get Bills cleared in parliamentary committees within a matter of days. "It (consultation in committees) could take three months. It could take six months," said the party leader. When reminded the Bill to liberalise the insurance sector, which was sent to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha, was cleared within days, he said: "That won't happen any more."
For the government, this indicates a quagmire of legislative procedure delays in clearing legislation. MPs in the Lok Sabha have already criticised the government for bringing in a welter of Bills and trying to pass these off as money Bills to avoid scrutiny of the Rajya Sabha.
Though a joint session of Parliament is an option for the government, the Congress says it will not let that happen. "To convene a joint session, a Bill has to clear one House but fall in the other. We won't let legislation fall; we will only ensure there is more debate on it," said a Congress leader.
