BJP to demand division of votes on cut motions in LS on price rise

Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said it will demand a division of votes on the cut motions to be moved in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday against increase in prices of petrol, diesel and fertiliser.

"We are moving cut motions against increase in prices of diesel and petrol and a token cut motion against increase in fertiliser prices," Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said.

BJP is against the policy of frequent increase in prices of petrol and diesel and the main opposition will also demand annulment of the notice for increase in prices of these products.

Swaraj, M M Joshi, Yashwant Sinha and Anant Kumar will move the cut motions on behalf of the BJP. Swaraj said BJP has asked Speaker Meira Kumar for division of votes on the cut motions and maintained that if the government was confident, it should not object to this.

Left parties have contacted BJP on floor co-ordination on the cut motions. However, Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal seemed to be dilly-dallying on the issue and may use the All-India bandh called by 13 political parties as a pretext to keep away from the Lower House on Tuesday.

BJP has ensured that Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, who is still Lok Sabha MP from Dumka, and another Jharkhand Mukti Morcha member Kameshwar Baitha (Palamau) take part in the cut motion.

Baitha is in jail but has sought permission to attend the session. Leaders of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on Monday held a meeting to discuss the strategy for cut motions.

Janata Dal-U chief Sharad Yadav, Shiromoni Akali Dal MP Rattan Singh Ajnala, Shiv Sena MP Adsul Anandrao Vithoba and Asom Gana Parishad MP Joseph Toppo will move the cut motions.

All NDA parties have issued three-line whips to their members to support the cut motions. While BJP has 116 members in Lok Sabha, the total NDA strength is 153 in the House of 543 members.

Though BJP disrupted the Lok Sabha today over the phone tapping controversy, Swaraj said her party has not demanded suspension of Question Hour in Lok Sabha on Tuesday as it wants the cut motions to be taken seriously.

BJP is not participating in the All-India bandh against price rise and wants to concentrate on the cut motions before the guillotine takes place in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

"We organised a rally on April 21 here against price rise in which people from all over the country took part," Deputy Leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia said.

Bahujan Samaj Party is not likely to support the cut motions. A cut motion could test the strength of the government in the House that could be a close affair. If a cut motion is adopted, the government of the day will have to resign because it is defeated on a money matter.