Land bill in LS on March 9, with changes

When asked to spell out the proposed amendments, a source said, “We would work out whatever is in the larger interest of farmers, but without affecting the core part of the bill.”

The source said, “All allies will back the bill, Akalis and Shiv Sena included” and added that some other parties too will extend their support.

As of now, there is no sign of a dilution of opposition to the bill as far as parties outside the NDA ambit are concerned. For instance, BJD, which is not a part of the anti-BJP bloc and at times sides with the government, is among parties clearly pitted against the bill.
BJD floor leader Bhartruhari Mahtab has given a notice along with Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Vincent Pala of Congress, Sultan Ahmed and Saugata Roy of Trinamool Congress, Mohammad Salim of CPM, C N Jayadevan of the CPI, N K Premachandran of the RSP and Raju Shetti of the Swabhiman Paksha for moving a statutory resolution disapproving land ordinance, when the fresh legislation is taken up in Lok Sabha. Shetti is a member of NDA.

While the government is satisfied with the progress of official business in Lok Sabha, the prospect of Rajya Sabha blocking vital legislation has come to haunt it following the government defeat in the Upper House over the amendment to the Motion of Thanks to the Presidential Address Tuesday. This leaves the government with the sole course of going in for a joint sitting of both Houses to pass important bills.