Opposition parties, ranging from BJP to Left parties as also outside supporters to the UPA like Samajwadi Party and RJD, staged a walkout during Pranab Mukherjee's Budget speech.
The issue of hike in fuel prices is expected to generate heat in Parliament meeting tomorrow after a four-day break.
This became clear with the opposition planning a series of meetings to strategise its protests and demand rollback in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The Left parties will have a separate meeting followed by those with other secular parties, while the BJP and its allies will hold separate talks to decide how to go about to press their common cause.
Leaders like RJD chief Lalu Prasad and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav have declared that the entire opposition was together on the demand for rollback and would not allow Parliament to function till the demand was met.
The parleys between opposition leaders assume significance against the backdrop of prime minister Manmohan Singh ruling out any rollback, saying the economy has the capacity to absorb the increase without triggering inflationary pressure.
Incidentally, RJD, SP and BSP, opposing the hike are outside supporters of the ruling UPA without whose 47-member strong prop the Congress-led coalition could be walking on thin ice if the issue precipitates.
However, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, whose party is also seeking a rollback like the DMK, has raised the comfort level of the government.
Banerjee has scotched rumours that the sharp criticism of the price hike by her party has caused unease in the alliance
with Congress and said the coalition would continue "despite obstacles".
Opposition parties, ranging from BJP to Left parties as also outside supporters to the UPA like Samajwadi Party and RJD, unitedly staged a walkout during finance minister Pranab Mukherjee's Budget speech in the Lok Sabha last week.
NCP has come out in support of measures taken by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and said the party will not take any
decision that will affect the stability of the Congress-led coalition.
"We are part of the decision-making process....NCP will not take any decision that will affect the stability of the government. We will explain to our colleagues who have different views and try to convince them about the larger national interest," NCP chief and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has said.
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