Victorious regional parties flex muscles in Parliament

Buoyant by their victories in the face of a “Modi wave” in the Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the AIADMK asserted their importance in Parliament on Tuesday.

Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the President's address, these parties emphasised their victory that gave them a record haul of Lok Sabha seats in their states.

“If there was a wave in favour of Modi and the BJP all over the country, why did the people of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Odisha choose regional parties?” asked  the BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab.

He said the Central government should grant Odisha special-category status. “We want support from the Centre,” he said. The Trinamool Congress' Kalyan Mukherjee said the people of West Bengal had backed his party handsomely.

“We are just watching your actions. So long as you are doing good for the people, we will support you. But please, for the interest of any religious party, do not destroy the constitutional mandate. Maintain the secular fabric of this country,” he told the government.

Banerjee sought Central assistance to write off the loan and interest worth Rs 2.30 lakh crore accrued to the state from the Centre by the previous Left Front government in West Bengal.

In the Rajya Sabha, his colleague Derek O'Brien said his party would play the role of a constructive opposition, but would oppose when necessary. The AIADMK attacked the Congress and its previous regime for its treatment of Tamil Nadu's issues, but kept up pressure on the new government for their resolution.

Pointing out the people's support for TN Chief Minister Jayalalitha, the AIADMK's M Thambidurai raised the issue of the Cauvery water dispute as well as that of the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka.