09-06-2007, 07:04 AM
UNPA fails to make impact
Akhilesh Suman | New Delhi
The newly floated alliance of eight regional parties, the UNPA, has missed the bus in establishing their separate identity either inside or outside Parliament.
The lack of leadership and the absence of a spokesman for the alliance have failed them in even being noticed in or outside the apex legislative bodies at the Centre.
Though the UNPA has total 82 members in both Houses of Parliament and sizeable impact in eight major States of the country, they could take no initiative that could make their presence felt in political terms.
While the Monsoon Session of Parliament is on for almost a month, there has been no interaction with the media on important issue like the India-US nuclear agreement. Though the UNPA leaders have been keen to oblige the TV crew by offering them sound bytes whereas even smaller Left parties have holding structured media briefing in Parliament.
On the nuclear deal protest, in both the Houses, the UNPA strongly sided with the NDA in demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into the implication of the Hyde Act on India's nuclear sovereignty.
After the UPA decided to set up the mechanism to discuss the nuclear deal with the Left parties, the UNPA members waited for the BJP to come up with the JPC demand before they drew their line.
Even in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the UNPA allowed the BJP to take the centrestage in stalling the House over demand for setting up the JPC. The UNPA members remained on their seats while the BJP occupied the Well.
Sources in the UNPA told The Pioneer that while the AIADMK has always been quick to join a protest made by the BJP, other constituents like Telugu Desham Party (TDP) or the Samajwadi Party have tried their best to show themselves away from them.
They said that the coordination on important issue is difficult for the UNPA, because they have to take signal from their respective leaders sitting either in Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Guwahati or Chandigarh.
To add to the confusion, no third front leader is available in their Parliamentary offices for comment, and if one could catch them anyhow, their measured reply is, "I have to contact our leader, we don't know what is the line."
The UNPA could not even implement their decision to raise the banner of protest in all major State capitals against the nuclear deal, even when the left has grabbed the opportunity by organising jaththas against the joint naval exercise with the USA, Australia and Japan.
On Thursday, in absence of any Third Front political programme, the TDP members participated in a dharna organised by the CPI at Jantar Mantar, but other members of the alliance just kept away.
"There is a seeming crack in the UNPA, as one part of it wants close relation with the NDA while the other wants to be in the right side of the Left parties. If the situation persisted, they will loose their identity as a separate alliance," an observer said.
Akhilesh Suman | New Delhi
The newly floated alliance of eight regional parties, the UNPA, has missed the bus in establishing their separate identity either inside or outside Parliament.
The lack of leadership and the absence of a spokesman for the alliance have failed them in even being noticed in or outside the apex legislative bodies at the Centre.
Though the UNPA has total 82 members in both Houses of Parliament and sizeable impact in eight major States of the country, they could take no initiative that could make their presence felt in political terms.
While the Monsoon Session of Parliament is on for almost a month, there has been no interaction with the media on important issue like the India-US nuclear agreement. Though the UNPA leaders have been keen to oblige the TV crew by offering them sound bytes whereas even smaller Left parties have holding structured media briefing in Parliament.
On the nuclear deal protest, in both the Houses, the UNPA strongly sided with the NDA in demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into the implication of the Hyde Act on India's nuclear sovereignty.
After the UPA decided to set up the mechanism to discuss the nuclear deal with the Left parties, the UNPA members waited for the BJP to come up with the JPC demand before they drew their line.
Even in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the UNPA allowed the BJP to take the centrestage in stalling the House over demand for setting up the JPC. The UNPA members remained on their seats while the BJP occupied the Well.
Sources in the UNPA told The Pioneer that while the AIADMK has always been quick to join a protest made by the BJP, other constituents like Telugu Desham Party (TDP) or the Samajwadi Party have tried their best to show themselves away from them.
They said that the coordination on important issue is difficult for the UNPA, because they have to take signal from their respective leaders sitting either in Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Guwahati or Chandigarh.
To add to the confusion, no third front leader is available in their Parliamentary offices for comment, and if one could catch them anyhow, their measured reply is, "I have to contact our leader, we don't know what is the line."
The UNPA could not even implement their decision to raise the banner of protest in all major State capitals against the nuclear deal, even when the left has grabbed the opportunity by organising jaththas against the joint naval exercise with the USA, Australia and Japan.
On Thursday, in absence of any Third Front political programme, the TDP members participated in a dharna organised by the CPI at Jantar Mantar, but other members of the alliance just kept away.
"There is a seeming crack in the UNPA, as one part of it wants close relation with the NDA while the other wants to be in the right side of the Left parties. If the situation persisted, they will loose their identity as a separate alliance," an observer said.