YSRCP-TDP fight for office space in Parliament House

The political feud between YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is reverberating in Parliament—this time over office space.

YSRCP, which got 22 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha polls from 9 in 2014, has demanded bigger space on the ground floor from current one room in the third floor of the Parliament House and is eyeing the TDP office in the Parliament House by ousting them.

A delegation of YSRCP met Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and requested to allot Room No 5 on the ground of the Parliament House, which is currently occupied by TDP. The argument of YSRCP MPs was that since the TDP has only three MPs, it is not entitled to a bigger room.

However, TDP MPs are adamant that their room should be retained as they have two members in Rajya Sabha as well and the small room is not sufficient for them. The TDP has been occupying this room since 1999, which was allotted to them by the then Speaker G M C Balayogi.

Separately, the DMK delegation led by M K Kanimozhi, T R Balu and Dayanidhi Maran met Joshi and demanded bigger office space mostly on the ground floor itself since DMK got 23 seats in 2019. Currently, DMK has one room on the third floor.

The AIADMK, which had 37 MPs in 2014 but reduced to one this time, occupies room no 41(1) on the ground floor, which is close to Central Hall.

Though the DMK did not press Joshi to give them AIADMK’s room, sources say they are also eyeing the same space.

AIADMK MPs are retaining the same room arguing they have 13 members in Rajya Sabha and small spaces will not be sufficient for them.

However, Joshi, who already took a tour of the Parliament House, has asked both parties to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is the authority to decide on allotting rooms to political parties.

Political parties always vie for getting bigger space in the Parliament House mostly on the ground floor. The party with the highest number of seats gets a bigger room on the ground floor and lower floors, while smaller parties with fewer numbers get rooms mostly on the third floor.

Traditionally, the parties close to ruling dispensation always have an advantage in getting bigger space on the ground floor.