By Bizodisha Bureau, New Delhi, March 6, 2015 :

The recent face-off between Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] and Biju Janata Dal [BJD] over a host of issue relating to the development of the state could have a bearing on the latter’s support to the Narendra Modi government in Rajya Sabha for passage of important legislations, the latest being the Land Acquisition Bill.

Naveen Patnaik’s BJD, Jayalalitha’s AIDMK and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress have 28 members in the upper house while BJP just has 46 members.

Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of amending the land legislation, which is essential to build rural infrastructure such as roads, schools, housing, hospitals and irrigation projects. He also urged Opposition parties, which have an upper hand in the Rajya Sabha and have used their majority to embarrass the government by blocking legislations, not to stop the nation’s development.

“I appeal to the Opposition — don’t stop nation’s development because you have majority in the Rajya Sabha,” he was quoted as saying during a speech to mostly farmers and rural people in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh.

The prime minister urged all “sections of the Rajya Sabha to support” the government’s initiatives to fulfill the development mandate handed to them by the electorate, while appealing to farmers “to raise your voice” against those erecting hurdles in the way of their development.

However, a Left-sponsored amendment to the motion of thanks to the President’s speech was carried by a thumping 118-57 majority in the Rajya Sabha. All three regional parties led by Mamata, Naveen and Jaylalitha supported the amendment.

Peeved at the denial of special assistance to the state in the union budget, the BJD has upped its ante against the NDA government raising the speculation that it might block passage of important legislations like the Land, the Insurance and Coal Bills in the Rajya Sabha.