The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident of the support of key allies such as the Janata Dal (United), the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), whose backing is crucial for the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill to clear Parliament, senior leaders said on Tuesday.
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The BJP has issued a whip to its members to be present in the Lok Sabha when it is taken up for discussion at noon on Wednesday. The JD(U) has also issued a whip to its members to remain present in the House and has clarified that it supports the bill, which seeks to bring sweeping changes to how waqf properties are regulated. The TDP, too, has issued a whip stating that it supports the bill.
In the Lok Sabha, the BJP needs a simple majority of 272 votes for the bill to pass. Of the 542 MPs, 240 are BJP lawmakers,12 are from the JD(U), 16 from the TDP, five from the LJP (RV), two from the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and seven from the Shiv Sena. If the NDA holds together, the bill will pass.
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In the Rajya Sabha, the NDA has 125 MPs –– 98 from the BJP, four from the JD(U), two from the TDP, three from the Nationalist Congress Party, onefrom the Sena, and one from the RLD. In the 245-member house, the bill needs the support of 119 MPs. The NDA is confident that it will get the backing of single-member parties such as the Asom Gana Parishad and Tamil Mannila Congress, as well as six nominated members.
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“We have the numbers on our side. The Opposition has been trying to spread misinformation that there is a disagreement in the NDA over the bill,” said a senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity.
Leaders of parties such as the JD(U) and the LJP (RV) confirmed that they will not stall the passage of the bill, and said the Opposition’s charge that the bill will encroach on the rights of the minorities was flawed.
“Our party has already met representatives of the Muslim Personal Law Board, Waqf Board and various other religious leaders, and assured them that their concerns will be relayed to the government and addressed, ” a senior JD(U) leader said.
A senior lawmaker from the LJP (RV) also confirmed support , saying the party will try to focus on the fact that it is in favour of poor Muslims, and “not how the opposition is making it out to be”. The lawmaker said the party was hoping that the bill would be taken up for discussion after the polls in Bihar, later this year.
The TDP, too, said it will back the bill because it will not encroach on the rights of Muslims. “Our party will support it. Chandrababu Naidu has already mentioned that we will work in interests of the Muslim community…” said TDP spokesperson Prem Kumar Jain.
