The contentious Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, has set the stage for a showdown in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government all set to table it in the House for discussion and passage amid repeated ruckus from the Opposition, comprising the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc parties, who on Tuesday staged a walkout from the House, terming the proposed legislation as unconstitutional.
Speaking to reporters, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Lok Sabha's Business Advisory Committee (BAC), which includes leaders from all major parties, chaired by Speaker Om Birla, has agreed on an eight-hour debate, which could be extended after taking the sense of the House.
Early signs of a heated debate between the treasury and Opposition benches over the bill were evident during the meeting, as the Congress and several other INDIA bloc members walked out, accusing the government of suppressing their voices. However, the political tensions and the length of the debate are unlikely to influence the outcome, as the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) holds a strong majority in the Lok Sabha.
For it to become a law, the Waqf Amendment Bill needs to be passed in the Lok Sabha and then in the Rajya Sabha before it's signed by the President.
Waqf Bill in Parliament: How numbers stack up in Lok Sabha
The NDA holds 293 seats in the House, which has a current strength of 542 MPs. The Basirhat parliamentary seat in West Bengal is lying vacant following the death of Trinamool Congress MP Haji Sheikh Nurul Islam. The BJP has often succeeded in garnering support from independent members and smaller parties.
Parties in support of Waqf bill
The NDA, led by the BJP, holds a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha, where 272 votes are required to pass legislation. Out of 293 MPs supporting the NDA, the BJP has 240 members, followed by 16 from the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP), 12 from Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), seven from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, five from Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and two each from the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) led by Jayant Chaudhary, the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) of HD Kumaraswamy, and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) of Pawan Kalyan. The government is also backed by one member each of Apna Dal (Soneylal), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL). The total strength of the Lok Sabha presently stands at 542.
The BJP is confident of full backing from its allies, as the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has addressed their concerns. Similarly, Nitish Kumar's JDU, too, has signalled its support for the bill, with senior leader KC Tyagi stating the party has shared its concerns with the Centre and is hopeful they will be addressed.
Parties opposing Waqf Bill
Opposition parties have strongly opposed the bill, condemning it as unconstitutional and detrimental to the interests of the Muslim community. Several prominent Muslim organisations have been actively mobilising support against the bill.
Leading the INDIA bloc's campaign against the bill, Congress has 99 seats in the Lok Sabha, followed by the Samajwadi Party (SP) – 37, Trinamool Congress (TMC) – 28, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) – 22, Shiv Sena (UBT) – 9, Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) – 8, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) – 4, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) – 4, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – 3, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) – 3, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) – 3, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) – 2, Communist Party of India (CPI) – 2, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation – 2, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) – 2. The Opposition alliance is also supported by one member each of Kerala Congress (KEC), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP), and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP). The bloc is also backed by three independents, including Pappu Yadav, Mohmad Haneefa and Vishal Patil.
This brings up the total to 236 against the NDA's strong 293. Leaders of all these parties have expressed that they will vote against the bill during the voting. Asaduddin Owaisi, the lone MP from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), is also staunchly opposing the bill, though he is not part of the INDIA bloc. Chandrashekhar Azad of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) will also vote against the Waqf Bill.
A few other parties who are yet to reveal their stance are the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP: 4 MPs) of Jagan Mohan Reddy, Zoram People's Movement (ZPM: 1 MP), Voice of the People Party (VPP: 1 MP), and the Shiromani Akali Dal (1 MP).
Waqf Amendment Bill background
The Union Cabinet has recently approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, incorporating the changes suggested by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), clearing the way for its introduction in Parliament for discussion and passage.
The Bill was initially introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and was referred to the JPC in August 2024. The parliamentary panel adopted the report with a majority vote, despite objections from all 11 opposition MPs on the committee, who also submitted dissent notes.
The comprehensive 655-page report was presented to both Houses of Parliament earlier this month.