Though the BJP could cobble a government in coalition, it could not conduct business in the Lok Sabha on Monday, when members reassembled after a recess in the Budget session. Amid reports that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP president and Rajya Sabha member Amit Shah would meet members of the TDP to discuss about special status and financial package, the ruling party, fresh from painting Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland saffron, did not execute its strategy of aggressively shouting down the opposition and blaming the former Manmohan Singh government for the bank scam.
The House was adjourned for the day a couple of minutes after 12 noon, when placard-bearing members of ally Telugu Desam Party trooped into the Well demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.
The YSR Congress MPs were also in the well, and together they raised slogans, drowning Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's suggestions that they get back to their seats.
Among other slogans, the canary yellow placards also urged the BJP to “follow alliance dharma”. Also in the well were Congress members protesting the PNB scam.
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Earlier, soon after the question hour began, the house had been adjourned till 12 noon following similar protests. Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar walked to some of them in a bid to talk to them, but the protests continued without interruption.
Sources in the BJP seemed confident that they will “talk to allies”. Law Minister Ravi Shanker Prasad was heard telling another BJP member that they will not allow the session to get washed out.
The Money Bill is the main business this session. But the government is expected to bring in some other crucial bills intended to deal with bank frauds, among others.