'Desertions in ranks may hurt Cong more'
Congress likely to lose in the upcoming July 22 trust vote.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: With the July 22 trial of strength heading for a close finish, the two sides have intensified their efforts to rustle up the numbers ���the UPA for winning the trust vote and the rival side for defeating the government.
There were indications that both the camps were engaged in engineering desertions, and the two principal political players ���the Congress and the BJP ���were bracing up for a depletion in their ranks.
What is contributing to the flux is the eagerness of a group of MPs to change their political affiliations. The threat of whip is unlikely to deter them as their support would be contingent upon a ticket to contest in the next polls.
The Congress was expected to be a loser as a section of its parliamentary group from Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have established contacts with the BJP and the BSP. While three of the nine Congress MPs from UP were said to be in talks with chief minister Mayawati, at least 4 of its 8-member contingent from Karnataka were reportedly negotiating with the BJP.
More trouble was in store for the Congress, this time from Haryana. Kuldeep Bishnoi made it clear on Wednesday that he���d vote against the confidence motion. The Bhiwani MP, who stands expelled from the party for raising a banner of revolt against the leadership, in any case, does not stand to lose anything by defying the whip. Another Congress MP from Haryana, Arvind Kumar Sharma (Karnal) was said to be close to finalising a deal with the BSP. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati���s trusted lieutenant Satish Chandra Mishra, the BSP���s most visible Brahmin face, was said to have offered the state president���s post to the two-term MP.
The Congress��� crisis managers, on their part, were hoping that the JMM would come to the government���s rescue by backing it during the trust-vote. The JMM���s decision to re-embrace the UPA in return for the assurance that Shibu Soren would be re-inducted into the Union cabinet as the coal minister would have a cascading effect, and prevent any desertion.
The BJP too was apprehensive of a few of its members switching sides. At least two MPs from Gujarat, Babubhai Katara, who was suspended from the party after getting caught in the fake passport case, and Somabhai Patel, who was suspended on the grounds of indiscipline, were said to be soft targets, while a third MP, Vallabhbhai Kathiria (Rajkot) has reportedly apologised to the leadership for his conduct and is said to have assured them that he���d vote against the motion.
On Wednesday, TRS leader K Chandrasekhara Rao announced that he would work with the BSP to defeat the government. He also said he was in talks with the JD(S) and RLD. Prakash Karat, who is closely working with Ms Mayawati in the ���oust Manmohan��� project, has been holding discussions with JD(S) leaders.
There were indications that both the camps were engaged in engineering desertions, and the two principal political players ���the Congress and the BJP ���were bracing up for a depletion in their ranks.
What is contributing to the flux is the eagerness of a group of MPs to change their political affiliations. The threat of whip is unlikely to deter them as their support would be contingent upon a ticket to contest in the next polls.
The Congress was expected to be a loser as a section of its parliamentary group from Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have established contacts with the BJP and the BSP. While three of the nine Congress MPs from UP were said to be in talks with chief minister Mayawati, at least 4 of its 8-member contingent from Karnataka were reportedly negotiating with the BJP.
More trouble was in store for the Congress, this time from Haryana. Kuldeep Bishnoi made it clear on Wednesday that he���d vote against the confidence motion. The Bhiwani MP, who stands expelled from the party for raising a banner of revolt against the leadership, in any case, does not stand to lose anything by defying the whip. Another Congress MP from Haryana, Arvind Kumar Sharma (Karnal) was said to be close to finalising a deal with the BSP. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati���s trusted lieutenant Satish Chandra Mishra, the BSP���s most visible Brahmin face, was said to have offered the state president���s post to the two-term MP.
The Congress��� crisis managers, on their part, were hoping that the JMM would come to the government���s rescue by backing it during the trust-vote. The JMM���s decision to re-embrace the UPA in return for the assurance that Shibu Soren would be re-inducted into the Union cabinet as the coal minister would have a cascading effect, and prevent any desertion.
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The BJP too was apprehensive of a few of its members switching sides. At least two MPs from Gujarat, Babubhai Katara, who was suspended from the party after getting caught in the fake passport case, and Somabhai Patel, who was suspended on the grounds of indiscipline, were said to be soft targets, while a third MP, Vallabhbhai Kathiria (Rajkot) has reportedly apologised to the leadership for his conduct and is said to have assured them that he���d vote against the motion.
On Wednesday, TRS leader K Chandrasekhara Rao announced that he would work with the BSP to defeat the government. He also said he was in talks with the JD(S) and RLD. Prakash Karat, who is closely working with Ms Mayawati in the ���oust Manmohan��� project, has been holding discussions with JD(S) leaders.
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