Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) The main opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Monday said it would move cut motions on budgetary proposals and has issued a whip to its members to be present in the Lok Sabha Tuesday when the government tables the crucial Finance Bill for the 2010-11 fiscal.
The opposition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has threatened to move cut motions on the budgetary proposals to increase prices of fuel and fertilisers.

The Left-led, anti-Congress and anti-BJP Third Front, too, is keen to defeat the government on the Finance Bill, while the Bahujan Samaj Party is likely to either support the government or abstain from the vote, sources said.

“Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will move cut motions against certain budget proposals. The NDA floor leaders’ meet chaired by Sharad Yadav decided to issue whip to our MPs. We have issued it,” said BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia here.

When budget proposals are presented before parliament for approval, an MP or a party can question a budgetary allocation in the form of a cut motion. If the motion is carried in the house, it amounts to a vote of no confidence in the government, which is then obliged to quit.

BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Ahluwalia said all NDA MPs, including Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief and Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren and his party colleague Kameshwar Baitha, who is lodged in the jail, will be present in the Lok Sabha Tuesday.

Soren, who became Jharkhand’s seventh chief minister Dec 30 last year, has not given up his Lok Sabha membership. Soren represents Dumka Lok Sabha constituency. Baitha, a former Maoist, won last year’s Lok Sabha election from Jharkhand’s Palamu constituency.

The 13 anti-Congress and anti-BJP opposition parties - the so-called Third Front - too, are also likely to oppose the Finance Bill, sources indicated.

“We have already issued whips to our party MPs,” Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Basudeb Acharia told IANS.

Asked about the support from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Samajwadi Party (SP) to the 13 parties’ move, Acharia said both the SP and the RJD are part of their formation and they are united.

The SP and the RJD withdrew their outside support to the government over the women’s reservation bill, which promises 33 percent quota to women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislatures and was passed in the Rajya Sabha during the first part of the budget session.

The 13 parties have also called for a nationwide shutdown Tuesday to protest the price rise.

However, sources in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) said 21 MPs of the party would either abstain or support the government on the Finance Bill.

“Our parliamentary party will take a decision,” a BSP leader said on condition of anonymity.