NCP chief Sharad Pawar likely to ask why the government has changed its stand on the ordinance. (File pic)
Some UPA allies are expected to seek an explanation on why the Congress-led government rushed a controversial ordinance on convicted lawmakers only to do a u-turn at a cabinet meeting in Delhi.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Prime Minister called all allies and informed them that the Congress' team of top leaders, the core group, had decided that the ordinance, which seeks to circumvent a Supreme Court order disqualifying convicted lawmakers by allowing them to stay on while a high court hears their appeal, should be withdrawn.
(Congress to withdraw ordinance derided by Rahul Gandhi)The cabinet is expected to formally withdraw the ordinance at today's meeting and refer it to a parliamentary standing committee for review.
Sources said Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar is likely to ask why the government has changed its stand. The cabinet had approved the ordinance only last week.
The NCP, said sources, is not questioning the withdrawal of the ordinance, only the Congress's flip-flop, brought on by its vice-president Rahul Gandhi trashing it as "complete nonsense." The Congress number 2 derided the ordinance while the PM was in the US. The opposition said this was an insult to the Prime Minister.
Today, Mr Gandhi met the PM and reportedly explained that he had not meant to undermine his authority or that of his cabinet.
There is said to be some disquiet that an ordinance, which some senior members of the cabinet say they supported only because the Congress core group pushed it, is now being withdrawn because of Mr Gandhi.
Ajit Singh, another ally and cabinet minister said today that he is happy the ordinance may be withdrawn. "We don't want criminalisation in politics," he said.
Allies like Mr Pawar and more recently Omar Abdullah of the National Conference have suggested that the Congress, which leads the ruling alliance, must ensure better coordination between the partners.
Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, which provides crucial external support to the UPA government, slammed the Congress. "The manner in which the ordinance was brought and is now being hurriedly withdrawn, shows that decisions are being taken keeping elections in mind. Because of the elections all ruling political parties are in a hurry," the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said.
(Read)The Congress maintains that it has decided to withdraw the ordinance because of "collective wisdom" and "feedback from across the country."