Land bill: BJP fails to win Shiv Sena's support as party abstains from voting

New Delhi: The ruling BJP on Tuesday failed to rally the entire NDA behind it for the passage of the contentious Land Bill in Lok Sabha as key ally Shiv Sena abstained while one-member Swabhimani Paksha went to the extent of moving an amendment. [caption id=“attachment_2146475” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. PTI[/caption] However, the Narendra Modi government succeeded in bringing around Akali Dal, which had earlier expressed reservations against the bill. After Shiv Sena abstained during voting on the Land Acquisition Bill in Lok Sabha tonight, a senior party leader said it may also abstain from voting in the Rajya Sabha where the BJP-led NDA is woefully short of numbers. Sena has 18 members, next only to BJP in NDA, in the Lower House but only three members in the Upper House. It is also a partner in Maharashtra government led by BJP. Sena’s decision is significant at a time when almost the entire opposition is ranged against the controversial legislation which the Congress and other parties are accusing to be “pro-corporate” and “anti-farmers”. Reports had it that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and also Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis had reached out to the Sena leadership in a bid to seek its support. PTI