Political uncertainty over JPC row troubles govt

While there are divergent views within the ruling Congress party on the anarchy and chaos within the government and Parliament, the two predominant views are: why is the government not agreeing to the opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe (into the 2G spectrum scam), and the second the stalemate has reached such proportion that some leaders are even talking that if there is no JPC, the country may well be headed towards a mid-term poll which nobody wants.

The lurking fear of an early poll has become the talk of Parliament with both MPs and ministers deeply unhappy at the possibility in this rather uncertain atmosphere, where no one is sure of where he stands.

Sources say that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has been holding meetings with senior leaders and allies. On Saturday, he again he had a round of discussion with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and also met Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Dayanidhi Maran and Muslim League Kerala State Committee's E Ahmed amongst others.

The main issues were whether the government should pass important legislation in the din and disruption and whether the same scenario would continue in the budget session of Parliament since the winter session has just two working days left and there is no question of the issue being resolved before the session breaks up.

The head of a key ally of the ruling Congress party, who has a great deal of political experience behind him, sounded cautious on the road ahead for the alliance.

He said that if the budget session does not run and if the budget has to be passed in the din and noise and if the standoff continues, then it may well be "chalo gaon ki aur", which translates to mean that political parties would have to go back to the people for a fresh mandate.

He said that the situation is becoming untenable for the government as many of the issues have been mishandled.

The alliance leader, who himself has been in favour of a JPC being set up, said he did not understand why the Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition was pressing for a JPC and why the government was opposed to a JPC.

He said both the stands do not make sense to him as it should suit the government to go for a JPC while it would be better for the opposition to have a Public Accounts Committee to look into the matter.

The government is hopeful that by the time the budget session commences at the end of February, the opposition unity would have broken and even if the BJP continues to insist for a JPC, at least the Left parties would have backed off from the demand.

But whether this happens remains to be seen since the Left is facing assembly elections in West Bengal in May next year and it may suit them to keep the momentum going and to paint rival Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee as a leader who is supporting corruption at the Centre.

The situation has become further aggravated for the ruling Congress combine with Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal announcing the setting up of a one member judicial enquiry committee of retired Supreme Court judge Shivraj Patil who has 4 weeks to look through the telecom processes and procedures from 2001 to 2009.

Reacting sharply to this, BJP leader Arun Jaitley rejected the committee saying that with Parliament in session the announcement is being made outside and that they will not accept anything less than a JPC.

Sources in the Congress say that in a bid to damage control and to send the signal that the party would not support corruption, the core committee took a decision that former telecom minister A Raja and his associates should be raided as it would show the ruling party as being concerned on issues of corruption.

But sources say that the real worry is how the DMK chief M Karunanidhi would react if Raja is arrested and whether he would then blame Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also as having been kept informed of all decisions.

After all, the DMK has to also face assembly elections in May next year and with Raja the only Dalit leader he has, the question being asked is whether he would go all out to dump him or stand with the former telecom minister at some stage.

Congress leaders say that with the entire political scenario becoming murkier by the hour, the party leadership would do everything to ensure the country is not headed for a mid term poll as the Congress itself is on a sticky wicket on a number of issues.

And for this, a number of options are being explored, say highly placed sources in the party. Many political leaders are praying that the fear of early polls, however remote, will help find some solution of the historic stalemate in Parliament.