World | India
Fate of Singh hangs by a thread
The two-day special session of Parliament gets underway today with both the ruling coalition and opposition claiming majority ahead of tomorrow's trust vote that will decide the fate of the Manmohan Singh government.
- By Ajay Jha, Chief Correspondent
- Published: 00:05 July 21, 2008
New Delhi: The two-day special session of Parliament gets underway today with both the ruling coalition and opposition claiming majority ahead of tomorrow's trust vote that will decide the fate of the Manmohan Singh government.
A photo-finish is being predicted, depending upon the votes of seven lawmakers who are yet to reveal their cards.
In all probability, the fate of the government will be decided by its success in getting some lawmakers of the opposition camp to abstain from voting, effectively reducing the halfway mark in its favour.
There are allegations that the price of purchasing loyalties of lawmakers have shot up to a mind-boggling Rs1 billion.
Indications of cross voting or abstaining are emerging with at least four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs likely to abstain and two Janata Dal (United) voting for the government. Some lawmakers of Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal are also expected to follow them.
Two of 12 Shiv Sena MPs and about four of eight Akali Dal MPs may either vote for the government or abstain, defying whips of their respective parties.
The government needs the support of 271 MPs to survive in case there are no abstentions. At last count, the Congress party leaders were able to count 268 lawmakers supporting them, while the combined opposition had 266.
Among the seven undecided votes, the Trinamool Congress chief and sole MP of the party, Mamata Banerjee, may abstain in her quest to maintain equal distance form both the Congress party and the Marxists, while the two MPs of the Asom Gana Parishad may vote for the opposition.
That makes one MP of the Mizo National Front and three independents crucial to take the final call. The final head count was supposed to take place at the dinner the Prime Minister was to host at his official residence last night.
In a day full of changing equations, the ruling United Progressive Alliance managed to retain Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in its camp, with the promise to make its embittered chief Shibu Soren the cabinet minister for coal and mines, and one other party MP a junior minister with additional bonus of the deputy chief minister's post going to the party in Jharkhand.
It further managed to boost its ranks by getting the lone All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi to pledge his support to the government.
New Delhi (IANS) Emerging as the key player in the political drama unfolding ahead of tomorrow's trust vote, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati yesterday said the opposition camp had the "numbers" to topple the Manmohan Singh government.
Addressing reporters after a luncheon meeting with Left and United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) leaders here, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said: "The government has to be ousted. All the MPs are working towards this."
"We have a one-point agenda - to topple the government," she said at a media conference, flanked by Left leaders Prakash Karat and A.B. Bardhan.
The UNPA luncheon meeting with the Left and Mayawati was an obvious effort at forging a strong Third Front. The meeting was held at the residence of Telugu Desam Party MP K. Yerran Naidu.
Share this article
Related Articles
News Editor's choice
-
Anti-terror force enlisted for Haj
Aerial surveillance to complement normal security operations
-
English to stay as medium of instruction
Lack of funding of scientific research in Arab world criticised
-
Global Village opens with a revamped layout
Four gates will have themes making it easier to find specific pavilions
