New Delhi: The constituents of India’s ruling coalition on Thursday came in support of the Manmohan Singh government’s recent economic reforms measures.
The coordination committee of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) met for the first time after Trinamool Congress opposing reforms pulled out of the alliance and withdrew its support to the coalition government, reducing it to a minority.
Besides, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which after the Trinamool Congress pullout has become the second largest UPA constituent after the Congress party, had participated in last week’s nationwide strike demanding rollback of the government’s decision to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment in multi-brand retails and cut in petroleum subsidies.
“We reviewed the situation following the number of decisions announced in the last 10 days. There was general satisfaction that many of the steps taken by the government, although some of them would put a burden on the people, have been welcomed by stakeholders as necessary and unavoidable,” Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said after the meeting, adding that the need to undertake more reform was also discussed at the meeting.
The Congress party had on Tuesday backed the reforms at its Working Committee meeting.
However, before giving their thumbs up, some of the UPA constituents reminded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, who is also chairperson of the UPA, that reforms do not win elections.
DMK was the most vocal with its senior leader T.R. Baalu saying that while economic reforms may be crucial, UPA constituents should not overlook the fact that the next general elections are just round the corner.
Baalu is learnt to have further said that moves like limiting subsidised cooking gas cylinders to six per family each year have not gone down well with the voters and demanded that the cap should be increased to 12 cylinders per year.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) which shares power with the Congress party in Maharashtra also backed the demand to raise the cap on supply of cooking gas cylinders.
Demands were also raised to at least partially rollback increase of diesel prices.
It is understood that both Singh and Chidambaram stood their grounds and justified the reforms while explaining why reforms were necessary and beneficial for the people.
