Wins may not help BJP in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: The victory of two power women, Ms J. Jayalaithaa in Tamil Nadu and Ms Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, could help the Modi government drive a wedge in the Congress’ repeated moves for Opposition unity in Parliament. The victory of the AIADMK and Trinamul Congress would help Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintain a “friendly” state-Centre relationship.

The BJP might still be lagging behind in the numbers game in the Rajya Sabha but “we can expect support on certain issues, including the GST, in the Rajya Sabha from TMC and AIADMK,” a senior party  functionary said. Both AIADMK and TMC, incidentally, are in favour of  GST.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lost no time to congratulate Ms Jayalalithaa and Ms Banerjee after their return to power.

After her victory, Ms Mamata Banerjee declared, “We have ideological differences with the BJP but we will always support them on issues that are beneficial to the people. We will support.”

Though the Trinamul, which has got the lion’s share of 30 per cent Muslim votes, is not in a position to return to the Modi-led NDA, both the Prime Minister and Ms Banerjee had refrained from lashing out at each other during the election campaign. It may be recalled that last August Prime Minister Modi had a “lunch pe charcha” at Ms Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence in Chennai and sought her support on the Goods and Services Tax Bill.

While the AIADMK maintains an independent status in Parliament, it has consistently provided crucial support to the BJP-led government on key issues.

The government is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha and depends on the support of regional parties like the AIADMK to push through key legislation. Ms Jayalalithaa’s party has also stayed away from the  Opposition protests led by the Congress.