The central government has received significant relief regarding the Wakf Amendment Bill. The Janata Dal (United) (JDU) of Bihar and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of Andhra Pradesh have announced their support for the bill. These two parties had previously demanded amendments, but after the government accepted their conditions, they have now aligned themselves in favor of the bill.
New Delhi: The Wakf Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha today. The bill will be debated for approximately eight hours, following which a vote will be taken for its passage. The government is receiving full support from its allied parties on this bill. However, two key NDA allies—the JDU and TDP—had initially sought certain amendments to the bill.
Both parties have considerable influence among Muslim voters, and therefore initially sought amendments to the Wakf Amendment Bill. However, both parties are now prepared to support the government. The primary reason for this shift is the government's assurance of incorporating necessary changes, addressing their concerns. This will send a positive message amongst JDU and TDP's Muslim voters, facilitating the bill's passage.
JDU's Support: Conditions and Agreement
The JDU, with 12 MPs in the Lok Sabha, now supports the Wakf Amendment Bill. A key demand of the JDU was to maintain the state government's authority over Wakf land. Additionally, they sought to ensure the new law wouldn't be applied retroactively and that Muslim religious sites would not be interfered with. The government has also acceded to their demand for the appointment of an officer above the Collector level for dispute resolution.
TDP's Stance: Naidu's Support and Demands Met
The TDP, with 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha, has also decided to support the bill. The TDP had demanded that only properties already registered should be considered Wakf properties. They also sought that the Collector not be the final authority for investigations. The government has also agreed to grant additional time for submitting documents.
Central Government Secures Majority Support
The government has the support of 293 MPs, exceeding the majority (272) by 21. This includes the BJP (240), LJP (5), TDP (16), JDS (2), JDU (12), Jana Sena (2), Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) (7), RLD (2), and 7 other MPs. The opposition has 239 MPs, 33 short of a majority. This includes the Congress (99), NCP (8), SP (37), RJD (4), Trinamool Congress (28), AAP (3), DMK (22), JMM (3), Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) (9), IMUL (3), Left (8), NCK (2), and 12 other MPs.
Voting on the Wakf Amendment Bill will take place after an eight-hour debate. The support of allied parties has significantly increased the likelihood of the bill's passage. The support from the JDU and TDP has mitigated the impact of opposition resistance. It remains to be seen what strategy the opposition adopts during the parliamentary debate.
