UPA readies for floor test
With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh scheduled to call on the President on Thursday, frenzied attempts are on by the UPA to shore up the ruling side’s numbers.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh scheduled to call on the President on Thursday, frenzied attempts are on to shore up the ruling side���s numbers. UPA managers are working on securing the backing of about 278 MPs in the Lok Sabha during a confidence vote that will be sought before the government inks the IAEA draft agreement in Vienna by the month end. According to tentative plans, the prime minister may take the majority test during a two day session, expected to begin on July 21.
As UPA managers go about striking deals with smaller parties and independents, the President Pratibha Patil met Left leaders, to accept their letters of withdrawal, and the SP, to accept their crucial backing for the government. Ms Patil received two letters from the Left parties, the first signed by all its 59 MPs in which the Left took back support from the government, and the second in which it said the government had ���lost its majority and legitimacy��� and hence Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should be asked to seek a ���vote of confidence���.
The SP, which met the President soon after the Left, claimed the backing of all its 39 MPs for the UPA government and that of one independent. What Ms Patil decides, keeping in mind the Left���s exit and the SP���s fresh lease of support for the UPA, will shape the future course of action.
Rashtrapati Bhavan sources said Ms Patil will be verifying all the letters of support for the UPA government from 2004. If she is satisfied that the government has the numbers, then she may see it necessary to direct the PM to seek a vote of confidence. This is a scenario that might suit the UPA government which is grappling to put together what will be a razor thin majority in Parliament. With constitutional experts saying that there is no provision for the President to ask the PM to seek a confidence vote in the Constitution, the President is unlikely to come in for criticism for her action.
However, with the Opposition BJP as well as the Left raising their voices for a confidence vote, UPA government might well decide that securing the backing of a parliamentary majority will give its nuke deal pitch of ���national interest��� more credibility. Sources said that all MPs on the ruling side and those likely to back the deal have been asked to remain in the Capital between July 11 and 22.
However, before that the Congress will be looking at putting the numbers together. A set of calculations the government is working on look like this. UPA along with sympathetic parties such as JMM (5), MDMK(2), JD(S) (2), PDP (1), RPI (1), SDF (1), three independents would have 231. With the support of SP (38 MPs including one of Lok Tantrik Party), the RLD (3), Raj Babbar, TRS (2) the tally would go up to 275. If the NC (2) and Trinamool���s Mamata Banerjee vote for the government, the figure would stand at 278. The UPA���s numbers are Congress (154), RJD (24), DMK (16), NCP (11), PMK (6), LJP (4), IUML (1). Once the official word on President Pratibha Patil���s decision is known, the wheels will begin to move towards the next course of action.
As UPA managers go about striking deals with smaller parties and independents, the President Pratibha Patil met Left leaders, to accept their letters of withdrawal, and the SP, to accept their crucial backing for the government. Ms Patil received two letters from the Left parties, the first signed by all its 59 MPs in which the Left took back support from the government, and the second in which it said the government had ���lost its majority and legitimacy��� and hence Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should be asked to seek a ���vote of confidence���.
The SP, which met the President soon after the Left, claimed the backing of all its 39 MPs for the UPA government and that of one independent. What Ms Patil decides, keeping in mind the Left���s exit and the SP���s fresh lease of support for the UPA, will shape the future course of action.
Rashtrapati Bhavan sources said Ms Patil will be verifying all the letters of support for the UPA government from 2004. If she is satisfied that the government has the numbers, then she may see it necessary to direct the PM to seek a vote of confidence. This is a scenario that might suit the UPA government which is grappling to put together what will be a razor thin majority in Parliament. With constitutional experts saying that there is no provision for the President to ask the PM to seek a confidence vote in the Constitution, the President is unlikely to come in for criticism for her action.
However, with the Opposition BJP as well as the Left raising their voices for a confidence vote, UPA government might well decide that securing the backing of a parliamentary majority will give its nuke deal pitch of ���national interest��� more credibility. Sources said that all MPs on the ruling side and those likely to back the deal have been asked to remain in the Capital between July 11 and 22.
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A number of meetings are expected in the Capital after the prime minister���s return including one of the Congress Working Committee on July 11, where the party will discuss the current political scenario and reiterate that the nuclear deal is in national interest.However, before that the Congress will be looking at putting the numbers together. A set of calculations the government is working on look like this. UPA along with sympathetic parties such as JMM (5), MDMK(2), JD(S) (2), PDP (1), RPI (1), SDF (1), three independents would have 231. With the support of SP (38 MPs including one of Lok Tantrik Party), the RLD (3), Raj Babbar, TRS (2) the tally would go up to 275. If the NC (2) and Trinamool���s Mamata Banerjee vote for the government, the figure would stand at 278. The UPA���s numbers are Congress (154), RJD (24), DMK (16), NCP (11), PMK (6), LJP (4), IUML (1). Once the official word on President Pratibha Patil���s decision is known, the wheels will begin to move towards the next course of action.
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