UPA holds a wafer-thin edge as stage's set for cross-voting
In a day of swinging fortunes, RLD, JD(S) jump ship, but JMM throws its weight behind govt. The stage’s now set for cross-voting.
By PR Ramesh, ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: The Capital was on Sunday the venue of complex and shifting political allegiances. After the champions of political see-saw ��� Ajit Singh and Deve Gowda ��� went over to the anti-UPA side, offsetting the government���s gains from netting the JMM, the UPA has launched a counter-offensive by getting ���assurances��� from a group of NDA MPs to change their political colour during the voting on the trust motion. Simply put, the Lok Sabha is all set to witness cross-voting by MPs on July 22.
The fact that the government was still in a position of advantage was clear when BJP���s allies on Sunday demonstrated their reluctance to share the saffron party���s enthusiasm for pulling it down. Akali Dal, JD(U) and BJD MPs stayed away from a meeting of the NDA, convened by LK Advani to discuss the Opposition alliance���s strategy in Parliament.
With the ruling side already poaching NDA MPs ��� Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of the BJP; Ram Swaroop Prasad and P Pookunhikoya of the JD(U) and Tukaram Ganpatrao Patil of the Shiv Sena have pledged support for the government ��� there were clear signs of a depletion in the NDA���s strength. The ruling side���s chief arranger of numbers, Amar Singh, claimed that the tally of the ruling side will be much beyond the required strength.
That Mr Singh���s was not an empty boast was evident from the way NDA MPs have turned freelancers. Those who have lost their constituencies after delimitation have become easy targets for the UPA. The BJP, Akali Dal and the BJD are expected to suffer embarrassment during the voting.
The BJP has already thrown a protective cover around its flock. In an attempt to shore up the numbers, it has brought back into its fold suspended party MP from Gujarat, Somabhai Patel. The Shiv Sena, too, has put its MPs in safe custody. But UPA leaders claimed that deals with some of them have already been wrapped up.
The political situation that looked advantageous for the UPA till late evening on Saturday changed on Sunday morning when Mayawati struck a Jatav-Jat alliance by signing a deal with Ajit Singh. Deve Gowda with two MPs followed suit, and walked over to the anti-UPA side.
These two developments had threatened to offset the gains that the UPA had managed by bringing the five-member JMM into its fold. The JMM has been offered two ministerial berths at the Centre.
BSP chief Ms Mayawati and Chandrababu Naidu, who are spearheading the efforts of the non-UPA, non-NDA parties, claimed that many Samajawadi Party MPs are in touch with them. During the day, Mulayam Singh and Mr Amar Singh addressed two press conference to parade their MPs and to hit out at rivals. The MPs of the SP have also been put under ���safe custody���.
The number crunching of MPs may still be in flux, as many parliamentarians were still enagaged in driving hard bargains with either side. The ruling side as well as the Opposition seemed unconcerned about the moral fallout of the trust vote. The trust vote has triggered the worst in politics as parliamentarians have turned into vote merchants for aiding the project of the ruling side as well as the Opposition.
The fact that the government was still in a position of advantage was clear when BJP���s allies on Sunday demonstrated their reluctance to share the saffron party���s enthusiasm for pulling it down. Akali Dal, JD(U) and BJD MPs stayed away from a meeting of the NDA, convened by LK Advani to discuss the Opposition alliance���s strategy in Parliament.
With the ruling side already poaching NDA MPs ��� Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of the BJP; Ram Swaroop Prasad and P Pookunhikoya of the JD(U) and Tukaram Ganpatrao Patil of the Shiv Sena have pledged support for the government ��� there were clear signs of a depletion in the NDA���s strength. The ruling side���s chief arranger of numbers, Amar Singh, claimed that the tally of the ruling side will be much beyond the required strength.
That Mr Singh���s was not an empty boast was evident from the way NDA MPs have turned freelancers. Those who have lost their constituencies after delimitation have become easy targets for the UPA. The BJP, Akali Dal and the BJD are expected to suffer embarrassment during the voting.
The BJP has already thrown a protective cover around its flock. In an attempt to shore up the numbers, it has brought back into its fold suspended party MP from Gujarat, Somabhai Patel. The Shiv Sena, too, has put its MPs in safe custody. But UPA leaders claimed that deals with some of them have already been wrapped up.
The political situation that looked advantageous for the UPA till late evening on Saturday changed on Sunday morning when Mayawati struck a Jatav-Jat alliance by signing a deal with Ajit Singh. Deve Gowda with two MPs followed suit, and walked over to the anti-UPA side.
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These two developments had threatened to offset the gains that the UPA had managed by bringing the five-member JMM into its fold. The JMM has been offered two ministerial berths at the Centre.
BSP chief Ms Mayawati and Chandrababu Naidu, who are spearheading the efforts of the non-UPA, non-NDA parties, claimed that many Samajawadi Party MPs are in touch with them. During the day, Mulayam Singh and Mr Amar Singh addressed two press conference to parade their MPs and to hit out at rivals. The MPs of the SP have also been put under ���safe custody���.
The number crunching of MPs may still be in flux, as many parliamentarians were still enagaged in driving hard bargains with either side. The ruling side as well as the Opposition seemed unconcerned about the moral fallout of the trust vote. The trust vote has triggered the worst in politics as parliamentarians have turned into vote merchants for aiding the project of the ruling side as well as the Opposition.
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