Divided Oppn keeps YSR Govt smiling

VV Balakrishna
First Published : 13 Jul 2009 09:52:02 AM IST
Last Updated :

HYDERABAD: Though the Budget session of the State Legislative Assembly, scheduled to commence later this month, may be crucial, the ruling Congress is not very much worried. The reason? The divided Opposition.

The Congress won only 155 seats in the election and YS Rajasekhara Reddy formed the government for the second time. This is the first-ever government with such a simple majority in the Assembly.

In contrast, there were six major Opposition parties having a record number of 126 members in the House. This is also the first time the ruling party is facing such a strong Opposition.

The strong Opposition is divided and is brawling among themselves.

First, it was the Telugu Desam party (TDP) which blamed the Praja Rajyam party (PRP) and the Lok Satta Party (LSP) for its poll debacle. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the other Opposition parties, instead of supporting the main Opposition party, were aiding the ruling Congress.

PRP president Chiranjeevi retorted by alleging that Naidu was not behaving like a responsible Opposition leader. He not only said that Naidu had failed to coordinate with other Opposition parties but also went a step ahead doubting the `mental balance’ of Naidu.

On the other, the LSP too strongly reacted to TDP’s allegations on party funds.

The LSP challenged the TDP to a debate on the party funds. The TDP alleged that the LSP had taken money from the Congress and helped it to defeat the TDP in the recent elections.

The two Left parties too are not hiding their `mutual hate’. The Left parties are accusing each other for the poor show in the elections. CPI State secretary K Narayana wondered whether CPM State secretary BV Raghavulu had the `brain’ at all. Retorting to this, Raghavulu said: ``People will judge who has the brain and who has not.’’ The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has barely overcome the crisis of recent internal squabbles. But it too has pointed fingers at the TDP for the poll debacle.

The PRP and TDP too are facing internal problems. Several leaders are quitting the PRP. The TDP faced problems from Kovur MLA N Prasannakumar Reddy and Talasani Srinivasa Yadav.

As the floor coordination among the Opposition parties is doubtful, the ruling Congress has an advantage of the support from the seven-member MIM, which could also help the party in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections.