Punjab Offering Rice To Karnataka Sets Stage For Congress-AAP Bonhomie?

As major opposition parties across the country head to Patna for the much-publicised meeting on the 23rd of June put together by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the AAP-Congress relationship is one that will be in focus. The question is could some rice from an AAP-ruled Punjab to Congress-ruled Karnataka break the ice?

The fact that Congress has refused to take a stand on the AAP's campaign against the centre on the National Capital of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, which curtails powers of the Delhi government despite a Supreme Court verdict, only reiterates the historic bitterness between the two parties.

The Congress' refusal to take a stand on the matter is despite several regional parties, including staunch Congress allies like the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, agreeing to support the AAP and Delhi Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal's campaign against the Centre.

In this backdrop, the AAP government in Punjab reached out and offered rice to the Congress government in Karnataka. As part of fulfilling the promises it had made in its election manifesto, the newly elected Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka had announced the rollout of an additional 5 kg of rice to all Below Poverty Line (BPL) families under its 'Anna Bhagya' scheme from July 1.

The state government had proposed to acquire the necessary 2.28 lakh metric tonnes of rice from the Food Corporation of India under the Open Market Sale Scheme, but the plan backfired as the central government discontinued the sale of rice to state governments from June 13. This is just a day after the FCI agreed to sell the rice to Karnataka!

The move by the central government has left the Congress government in Karnataka in a difficult situation and it has accused the centre of "vendetta politics". However, the onus on delivery of the welfare schemes is on the state government and it desperately needs the rice to roll out the scheme from July 1. Especially, as an announcement to that effect has already been made by the Chief Minster.

In this backdrop, Karnataka is desperately looking to procure supplies from other states, but very few have such a huge quantity readily available. This is where Punjab has made an offer to help and a team from Karnataka is said to be evaluating the offer. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has reportedly spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Karnataka may have to work out the transportation costs and the procurement costs, but economics is not the only consideration here. It's not clear if the offer of rice will sooth bitter political relations between the two parties, but several opposition leaders are hoping it will. Bringing the AAP and the Congress together would be an important step in building the optics of a united opposition.

A rice deal could just be the first step, but as one Congress leader put it on condition of anonymity, "they can't abuse us in the morning and expect to be friends by afternoon". As the opposition leaders meet in Patna, there are several sticking points that need to be ironed out.

The focus is also on whether Nitish Kumar can play the role of the alliance builder, like his party senior, the late George Fernandes. And a little rice between the AAP and the Congress could help in that quest!