Columns: Race Course Road

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India Today, April 5, 1999
April 5, 1999

RACE COURSE ROAD
His Own Floor Plans

With his managers floundering, Vajpayee takes charge

By Prabhu Chawla

When it comes to the survival of a government, its floor managers in Parliament often carry the can. As a desperate Congress readies itself for a final assault on the BJP-led Government, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee finds himself hopelessly under-equipped to meet the challenge. Even after four sessions of the 12th Lok Sabha, the prime minister has failed to put together an efficient and politically savvy team of floor managers to contain the aggressive Opposition in Parliament. A government's success is invariably measured in terms of its ability to pin down its parliamentary opponents and by its ability to get approval for maximum legislative measures. On both counts, the Government has left much to be desired. The past three sessions have seldom seen the prime minister and his 20 cabinet ministers comfortable in both houses of Parliament.

When Parliament meets again on April 12 after a brief break, the Government is likely to face a fresh onslaught from the Congress. Since many financial bills are scheduled to come up for voting, Vajpayee and his team will be under pressure to deliver. Rarely in the past has a prime minister been heckled to the extent that he is not even able to make a statement. If a prime minister is targeted by a determined Opposition, his party colleagues invariably come to his defence. Vajpayee had no such shield during the last session and, deeply hurt, he is searching for a remedy.

The fault lies clearly with Vajpayee's key deputies like Home Minister L.K Advani and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam. Though a relative junior, Kumaramangalam was allotted the crucial portfolio by Vajpayee in the hope that his grooming in the Congress and contacts in that party would help him in handling the Opposition. But the last session, if anything, showed that Kumaramangalam had failed to infiltrate the enemy camp. What's worse, he could not even ensure proper floor co-ordination within the BJP-led alliance. As minister for parliamentary affairs, it was his responsibility to persuade, pursue and pamper his fellow MPs to ensure that the Government had a smooth sailing. The BJP's impressive victory in the Lok Sabha on the Presidential proclamation on Bihar owed little to Kumaramangalam's charms. It was Vajpayee who spoke to and mobilised each ally directly.

Vajpayee has now realised that managing Parliament is as important as winning an election. Kumaramangalam may have put his best foot forward, but his limited acceptability within the BJP means his best is not good enough. Besides, there are leaders of long standing like Ram Naik who have been put under Johnny-come-latelies like Kumaramangalam. It's not surprising that Naik and other senior ministers and MPs seldom take orders from him. Worse, leaders of alliance partners have scant regard for the parliamentary affairs minister.

As a result, during recent Parliament sessions, there have been few structured meetings, so essential for running a coalition government. The confusion has percolated down to the ranks. Fortunately, Vajpayee has now decided to take his role as the leader of the parliamentary party as seriously as his prime ministership. He has no other option if he is to keep the Congress from breathing too hard and too close down his neck.

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