UPA's Survival On 22nd July? And Aftermath

[acharya]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> <b>MPs can “correct” their vote on July 22</b>
Special Correspondent
Three BJP MPs in ICUs are to be “airlifted”
In case of an error, vote can be cast on a paper slip, Slips will be manually checked in case of a thin margin

NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament who make a mistake when pressing the crucial button on their tables during the trust vote on July 22 do get an opportunity to “correct” their vote, if they so desired.

At the end of the two-day debate on July 22 once the Speaker ordered the lobbies to be cleared to prepare for the vote, “MPs will be given exactly 10 seconds to press the button and vote electronically,” secretary general of the Lok Sabha P.D.T. Achary said. However, they would be able to see on a display board whether their vote has been registered or not and also whether they pressed the “green” for an ‘aye’ or a “red” for a “nay.” If the vote failed to register or some mistake was committed inadvertently, they could “immediately” ask for a paper slip to cast their vote.

Lok Sabha secretariat officials said in the case of a thin margin between ‘ayes’ and ‘nays’, the paper slips would be manually checked and counted before the Speaker announced the results.

If the margin of victory or defeat was large then the Speaker may announce the result immediately, but the final count of votes would take some time.

With every vote crucial, both camps are making extraordinary efforts to ensure that all their MPs are present. Three Bharatiya Janata Party MPs in ICUs in different hospitals are to be “airlifted” along with their doctors, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

However, of these three, one, that is film-star turned politician Dharmendra has reportedly telephoned the top party bosses to say it would not be possible for him to turn up as he is in hospital in the U.S. recovering after a knee-replacement surgery.

Apparently, the doctors of the other two MPs – Mahesh Kanodia and Harish Chandra Chauhan – are also reluctant to give the clearance for them to travel.
Special arrangements

The Lok Sabha secretariat told The Hindu that till Saturday evening the BJP had asked for “special arrangements” to be made for the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to enable him to vote from the lobby of the Lok Sabha.

“No such request has as yet been made for any other MP,” a senior official said.

Hectic activity in both the camps has revolved around shoring up additional strength as well as on poaching from the “other” camp.

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