The winter session of Parliament has been scheduled from November 26 to December 23. The session is set to begin with a two-day debate on the making of the Constitution on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar, who had played a key role in its making as the chairman of the Constituent Assembly. It is a clever idea to begin the session by paying tribute to Ambedkar. All parties will feel obliged to tone down the bitter polemics and invective on such an occasion. But the real interest will lie in what they might do after two days. Will it be more of the same the country had witnessed in the monsoon session? Will the Opposition, freshly energised after the big win in Bihar, try and make things more difficult for the Government? Or, will Rahul Gandhi shed blind obstructionism and bitterness against the Government in his new role as the third string in the JD(U)-led Grand Alliance?
These and more such questions will be answered only when the session begins. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is being proffered a lot of gratuitous advice that he should reach out to the Opposition, that he must seek its cooperation to push through the urgent legislative agenda. Editorialists are joined by foreign and domestic brokerages in advising Modi to seek cooperation in order to deliver on economic reforms. By all means, the PM must try and enlist the support of all sections in Parliament in order to ensure smooth sailing for the official legislative agenda. Humility becomes a great leader. Whatever its numbers in Parliament, the Opposition needs must be treated with respect. There ought to be no hesitation in accommodating the Opposition in the larger national interest. But, what if the extended hand of friendship is spurned by the Opposition? If the Gandhi scion behaves the way he did in the monsoon session, when Bihar was still to pronounce its verdict, after Bihar he might believe that his obstructionist stance has the approval of the voters. From four to 27 seats, Rahul Gandhi might persuade himself, is a clear endorsement of the tactics of willful obstruction and hostility against the Government. It is here Nitish Kumar can play a meaningful role. Buoyed by the unexpectedly big mandate in Bihar, it is in his interest that he establishes a working relationship with the Prime Minister. Without a generous financial package from the Centre, Nitish will find it hard to deliver on his promises to the voters. And as the unquestioned leader of the Grand Alliance which has given a new lease of life to the moribund Congress in Bihar, he is in a strong position to moderate the visceral hatred of Gandhi towards the PM. Mutually beneficial bargains between political rivals in larger interest are not unknown. It is just that the immaturity of the Gandhi scion makes it tougher for anyone in the NDA to do business with him.
However, Nitish, whose stature as the foremost leader in the non-NDA block has received a boost after the Bihar election, should be expected to take a reasonable stance. If he plays ball with the Centre, brushing aside the unthinking opposition of the Congress Party and the tomfoolery of Lalu Yadav, he stands to gain further. Since the Grand Alliance has the ambition to extend the Bihar experiment outside, as its unquestioned leader Nitish might like to burnish his credentials as a constructive leader by cooperating with the Centre. The JD(U) is not a significant presence in Parliament but its voice can begin to carry weight with the Congress and others in the Opposition should Nitish help the latter evolve a commonly agreed stand on major economic reform Bills, such as the GST and the Bankruptcy Code. The country cannot be held hostage to the viciousness of a party which is un-reconciled to sit in the Opposition and refuses to let the Government get on with the business of governance. Regardless of the Opposition stance, and certainly regardless of the Bihar shock, the PM must press ahead with the reforms agenda, must reenergise the economic engine so that growth and progress is felt by the common man. Otherwise, people will get disenchanted.
