<b>Nervous Congress tries to ensure numbers don't evaporate in the heat</b>
Tue, Jul 15 02:39 AM
While "280" is the constant refrain of the ruling camp busy number crunching ahead of the trust vote on July 22, there are palpable jitters within the Congress as many of its potential backers are refusing to bite the bullet. To make it worse, efforts are on to poach MPs in the ruling camp, with the BSP leading from the front.
Former Union minister Akhilesh Das, who quit the Congress to join the BSP last May, was learnt to be making aggressive bids to woo Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh. Another former Congressman and eastern Uttar Pradesh strongman who has since landed at Mayawati's door after hopping between different parties, Hari Shankar Tiwari, was learnt to be involved in wooing Congress MPs. These BSP leaders are said to be in touch with at least three Congress MPs from the state. There are similar bids to woo UPA MPs in other states, including Haryana and Gujarat.
This has made the ruling camp nervous. It was in this context that Congress president Sonia Gandhi last Saturday instructed general secretaries/in-charges of states to keep the flock together ahead of the floor test. According to ruling party sources, what has muddied the waters is the fact that many sitting MPs have at the back of their minds the changes due to the delimitation exercise while others are not so sure of getting party nomination in the next general election.
However, the remarks of an AICC general secretary - "this goes for MPs in the opposition camp as well" - indicate that the party is hoping this factor will get negated.
The SP is equally concerned about keeping its flock together and is planning to call all its MPs to the capital much before the trust vote.
The ambivalence on the part of parties like the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the JD(S) is also giving sleepless nights to Congress crisis managers. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has been instrumental in keeping the Madhu Koda government in Jharkhand alive despite strong views against it in the Congress camp, has been assigned the task of persuading JMM chief Shibu Soren. Soren has been sulking since not being re-inducted into the Cabinet.
While JD(S) supreme H D Deve Gowda continues to keep the Congress guessing about his stance, Congress leaders feel that Gowda could not afford to be seen as helping the BJP bring down the Government at the Centre.
Tue, Jul 15 02:39 AM
While "280" is the constant refrain of the ruling camp busy number crunching ahead of the trust vote on July 22, there are palpable jitters within the Congress as many of its potential backers are refusing to bite the bullet. To make it worse, efforts are on to poach MPs in the ruling camp, with the BSP leading from the front.
Former Union minister Akhilesh Das, who quit the Congress to join the BSP last May, was learnt to be making aggressive bids to woo Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh. Another former Congressman and eastern Uttar Pradesh strongman who has since landed at Mayawati's door after hopping between different parties, Hari Shankar Tiwari, was learnt to be involved in wooing Congress MPs. These BSP leaders are said to be in touch with at least three Congress MPs from the state. There are similar bids to woo UPA MPs in other states, including Haryana and Gujarat.
This has made the ruling camp nervous. It was in this context that Congress president Sonia Gandhi last Saturday instructed general secretaries/in-charges of states to keep the flock together ahead of the floor test. According to ruling party sources, what has muddied the waters is the fact that many sitting MPs have at the back of their minds the changes due to the delimitation exercise while others are not so sure of getting party nomination in the next general election.
However, the remarks of an AICC general secretary - "this goes for MPs in the opposition camp as well" - indicate that the party is hoping this factor will get negated.
The SP is equally concerned about keeping its flock together and is planning to call all its MPs to the capital much before the trust vote.
The ambivalence on the part of parties like the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the JD(S) is also giving sleepless nights to Congress crisis managers. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has been instrumental in keeping the Madhu Koda government in Jharkhand alive despite strong views against it in the Congress camp, has been assigned the task of persuading JMM chief Shibu Soren. Soren has been sulking since not being re-inducted into the Cabinet.
While JD(S) supreme H D Deve Gowda continues to keep the Congress guessing about his stance, Congress leaders feel that Gowda could not afford to be seen as helping the BJP bring down the Government at the Centre.