Opposition Parties Unite to Oppose Contentious Farm Bills to be Tabled Tomorrow in Rajya Sabha

High political drama is expected on Sunday as the Rajya Sabha is likely to take up three farm bills with the Congress and many opposition parties trying to put a united front to oppose these proposed legislations terming them as anti-farmer and pro-corporate, even as the ruling BJP is also reaching out to several regional outfits for support. The numbers, however, appear to be in favour of the ruling dispensation to get these bills passed from Rajya Sabha, while the lower house has already cleared them despite a key NDA member Shiromani Akali Dal vehemently opposing them.

Some key BJP leaders are said to be in touch with various non-Congress opposition parties to seek support from their Rajya Sabha members for these bills. While the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is yet to have a clear majority of its own in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, many regional parties have backed it for the last several sessions to ensure passage of various legislations proposed by the government.

BJP leaders expressed confidence that they will get the support of over 130 members, including nine of the AIADMK and six of the YSR Congress — both of whom are not part of the ruling alliance if a division of votes is sought on these bills. Another regional party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) was also being wooed by the BJP, but its chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday asked his party MPs to vote against these bills, alleging these wouldcause great injustice to farmers in the country.