TRS still opposing CAB but JD(U), AIADMK, BJD supports

K Chandrashekar Rao-led TRS opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill even as AIADMK, JD(U) and BJD, which had opposed the proposed legislation earlier, changed their stand to support the ruling BJP on the proposed legislation.

The TRS' stand is unlikely to have an impact on the prospects of the bill as BJP is firmly in the saddle in both the House when it comes to the controversial bill.

The TRS issued a whip to its MPs vote against the bill.

Sources said that the TRS chose to follow its opposition despite the BJP reaching out to it on the bill, which seeks to provide citizenship to persecuted non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh while keeping the states under Inner Line Permit regime and areas under Sixth Schedule that provides protection to tribal dominated areas out of its ambit.

The TRS was speculated to have been won over by the BJP on the bill and in the Budget Session, it had supported the ruling BJP on legislations like the RTI (Amendment) bill.

One of the reasons for the TRS, which has 11 MPs in Lok Sabha and six in Rajya Sabha, to oppose the bill is the considerable Muslim population in the state, which had supported the party.

Also, with the BJP emerging as a challenger in Telangana, sources said, TRS wanted to assert its position.

Earlier during the Winter Session, TRS had signed a joint notice of Opposition parties seeking a discussion on the state of economy in Rajya Sabha.

While the TRS stuck to its stand, NDA allies JD(U) and AIADMK decided to support the bill after the BJP leadership reached out to them.

These parties said that the government has now addressed the concerns raised in the Northeast.

However, it may be difficult for the AIADMK to blunt criticism as its arch-rival the DMK and other Opposition parties are demanding that Sri Lankan Tamils also should be brought under the ambit of the bill, which the government has refused to do so.

The BJD, whose MP Bhartruhari Mahtab had written a dissent note to report of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the bill earlier, had also supported the new version but with conditions.

The BJD sources said that they would be supporting the bill but with conditions.

Last week, the ruling BJP had withdrawn its candidate against the BJD in the election to the statutory board of AIIMS in Bhubhaneswar.

This was read in political circles as humouring the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD ahead of the introduction of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill.