New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) The passage of Lokpal bill in the Rajya Sabha appears to hang in balance as an United Progressive Alliance (UPA) constituent and other parties supporting the government are among those who have given amendments to the legislation being debated in the upper house.
Official sources said notices have been given for 173 amendments to the bill which was introduced by the government in Rajya Sabha earlier in the day. Apart from opposition parties, notices for amendments have been given by members of Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
While Trinamool Congress is part of the UPA, Samajwadi Party and RJD support the government from outside. The government does not possess a majority in the upper house.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), another party which supports the government from outside, has said that it will decide its strategy on the bill at the time of voting, but may not stage a walkout.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said that Samajwadi Party members had told them that the party may vote against the government on the bill and may not stage a walkout.
They said if Trinamool Congress, which has six MPs in the house, presses for its amendments, the government would find it difficult to get the bill passed.
‘If Trinamool Congress presses its amendments, the government will face problems,’ a BJP leader told IANS.
BSP leader Satish Chandra Misra has said that the party had not taken a final decision on the bill and will decide its he time of voting in the House.
Samajwadi Party, BSP and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had staged a walk out during voting on the Lokpal bill in the Lok Sabha, which had brought down the number required by the government to reach the half way mark.
The notices for amendments to the bill have also been given by members from the BJP, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India, Telugu Desam Party, AIADMK, Biju Janata Dal and Shiromani Akali Dal.
Informed sources said Trinamool Congress members have moved amendments to the bill on provisions that it considers impinge on the federal structure of the constitution.
