There are strong indications that the United Progressive Alliance government's policy of divide and rule may be working with the Rajya Sabha likely to witness a debate on price rise without the voting component while the Lok Sabha may also begin functioning in the next day or so, by taking up some other issue for discussion, and leaving out the price rise issue to be resolved later.
Highly placed sources in the government state that while the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders are willing to dilute their demand for voting as part of the adjournment motion, it is the Left, which remains adamant, and are
not willing to give up the voting clause in the Lok Sabha.
The Left does not want to leave any available opportunity to 'expose' Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee and her ruling coalition member Trinamool Congress, say sources.
Sources also say that in the Rajya Sabha numbers have little or no meaning, so it would be easier for the opposition to back down from its demand of having a discussion on price rise under a rule which entails voting.
In that situation the BJP would be in a position to say it has taken the government to task for the continued rising prices.
In the Lok Sabha, the opposition could well take up any other issue from the 62 it has listed as part of its priority, which includes the Bhopal gas tragedy, the 'misuse' of the Central Bureau of Investigation, India's relations with Pakistan and many other issues.
The price rise debate can always take place later, say sources, since the government has made it clear it does not need to prove its majority in every session of the parliament and would not agree to a debate which entails voting at the end of it.
The Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal said that the issue of whether to allow the adjournment motion was between the Speaker and the opposition and the government had no role to play as it would go by the ruling of the Speaker.
In the business advisory committee of the Lok Sabha that was held on Tuesday evening, the issue of the adjournment motion did not come up.
Even as the two houses of parliament were repeatedly adjourned on Tuesday with no business being transacted, sources in the government say that while they are ready to discuss any issue, they would not succumb to any pressure from the opposition as the government has no urgent business which is being held up.
A resolution is likely to be passed approving president's rule in Jharkhand and that can be done even amongst the noise and the din. Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora tabled his statement in the House on petrol prices even as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee introduced a bill on security and insurance.
With the opposition toying with the idea of adopting differing tactics in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha and the government in no mood to bend backwards to please the opposition, the pressure is now on the BJP-led opposition to let the two Houses of parliament run, a strategy which would become clear only on Wednesday when the Parliament convenes.
