07-13-2008, 10:23 PM
<b>
Numbers game doesn't clearly favour any side for trust vote</b>
New Delhi (PTI): As the Manmohan Singh government braces for its first trust vote, the numbers game will be a dicey affair with fence sitters expected to have a field day.
Be it Ajit Singh's RLD or JD (S) of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda or other smaller parties and independents, all have the potential to upset the applecart of the Congress-led UPA coalition.
<b>
As one Congress leader put it, "this is the first confidence vote where the tenth schedule (anti-defection law) would be of no use" as the Lok Sabha elections are round the corner.</b>
But, the suspense over the trust vote has deepened more as main opposition BJP appears reluctant to make much noise, which could create unnecessary problems for Left parties, whose withdrawal of support has led to the trust vote.
As there are nearly a dozen fence sitters in the Lok Sabha, both the government and the opposition are pinning high hopes on them and expecting their support.
In the Lok Sabha having an effective strength of 543, the ruling side has to cross the halfway mark of 272 to prove a simple majority.
The ruling UPA has an assured support of 221 MPs belonging to alliance partners, which includes the Congress' 153, RJD's 24, DMK's 16 and NCP's 11. However, the five-MP JMM, although an ally of UPA, has not yet revealed its cards.
Numbers game doesn't clearly favour any side for trust vote</b>
New Delhi (PTI): As the Manmohan Singh government braces for its first trust vote, the numbers game will be a dicey affair with fence sitters expected to have a field day.
Be it Ajit Singh's RLD or JD (S) of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda or other smaller parties and independents, all have the potential to upset the applecart of the Congress-led UPA coalition.
<b>
As one Congress leader put it, "this is the first confidence vote where the tenth schedule (anti-defection law) would be of no use" as the Lok Sabha elections are round the corner.</b>
But, the suspense over the trust vote has deepened more as main opposition BJP appears reluctant to make much noise, which could create unnecessary problems for Left parties, whose withdrawal of support has led to the trust vote.
As there are nearly a dozen fence sitters in the Lok Sabha, both the government and the opposition are pinning high hopes on them and expecting their support.
In the Lok Sabha having an effective strength of 543, the ruling side has to cross the halfway mark of 272 to prove a simple majority.
The ruling UPA has an assured support of 221 MPs belonging to alliance partners, which includes the Congress' 153, RJD's 24, DMK's 16 and NCP's 11. However, the five-MP JMM, although an ally of UPA, has not yet revealed its cards.