07-17-2008, 07:57 AM
Cong can't count on 4 of its own in number game
New Delhi: Congress leaders are smiling for the camera and say the Government would win the vote of confidence in Parliament on July 22 but deep within they know itâs going to be no cakewalk.
The UPA combine along with others had the support of 260 MPs on July 15 but the situation changed on July 16 when the number of MPs of whose support the Government was sure of came down to 256. And no it was not the Opposition which pulled the MPs awayâthe UPAâs own number of MPs reduced from 218 to 214.
The Government senses trouble from four rebel Congress MPs who could vote against the party whip.<b> Kuldeep Bishnoi, suspended Congress MP from Bhiwani in Haryana, on Wednesday said he would vote against the Government. </b>"I am against Sonia Gandhi. So I will vote against the UPA. I strongly oppose the India-US civil nuclear deal also," said Bishnoi, son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal.
<b>A F Golam Osmani, Congress MP from Barpeta in Assam, is against Chief Minister Tarun Gogoiâs leadership and he too could vote against the Government on July 22.</b> Osmani voted according to the partyâs wishes during election for the Vice-President but he had abstained during the Presidential election.
<b>Former union minister R L Jalappa, who represents Karnatakaâs Chikballapur constituency in Parliament, is the third troublesome MP for Congress. The BJP has promised to give Jalappaâs son a ticket in the in the Lok Sabha elections and so he may rebel against the Congress on July 22.
Finally, there is M H Ambareesh, the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Congress MP from Mandya in Karnataka. Ambareesh, a film actor, is also reportedly considering switching sides.</b>
The UPAâs second biggest worry is that whether Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav will be able to keep his entire flock of 37 MPs on July 22. Two party MPs have already declared that they would defy the party whip and so the Government may get the support of 37 SP MPs came, not 39.
The UPAâs third biggest worry is that it needs 16 out of the 20 MPs in the undecided block to vote for the Government, but these fence sitters have not committed their support yet.
<b>The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has five MPs, but its leader Shibu Soren wants his Cabinet berth back to support the Government.</b>
Former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief H D Deve Gowda has three MPs but he has not given his decision to the Congress yet. <b>Rebel JD (S) MP M P Veerendra Kumar has declared that he will vote against the government.</b>
Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh has three MPs, but he too wants a ministerâs post for his support.
The National Conference has two MPs but it has not decided what to do on July 22.
The Government needs the support of at least 272 MPs to survive in Parliament and till now race to get that support has not been won.
New Delhi: Congress leaders are smiling for the camera and say the Government would win the vote of confidence in Parliament on July 22 but deep within they know itâs going to be no cakewalk.
The UPA combine along with others had the support of 260 MPs on July 15 but the situation changed on July 16 when the number of MPs of whose support the Government was sure of came down to 256. And no it was not the Opposition which pulled the MPs awayâthe UPAâs own number of MPs reduced from 218 to 214.
The Government senses trouble from four rebel Congress MPs who could vote against the party whip.<b> Kuldeep Bishnoi, suspended Congress MP from Bhiwani in Haryana, on Wednesday said he would vote against the Government. </b>"I am against Sonia Gandhi. So I will vote against the UPA. I strongly oppose the India-US civil nuclear deal also," said Bishnoi, son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal.
<b>A F Golam Osmani, Congress MP from Barpeta in Assam, is against Chief Minister Tarun Gogoiâs leadership and he too could vote against the Government on July 22.</b> Osmani voted according to the partyâs wishes during election for the Vice-President but he had abstained during the Presidential election.
<b>Former union minister R L Jalappa, who represents Karnatakaâs Chikballapur constituency in Parliament, is the third troublesome MP for Congress. The BJP has promised to give Jalappaâs son a ticket in the in the Lok Sabha elections and so he may rebel against the Congress on July 22.
Finally, there is M H Ambareesh, the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Congress MP from Mandya in Karnataka. Ambareesh, a film actor, is also reportedly considering switching sides.</b>
The UPAâs second biggest worry is that whether Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav will be able to keep his entire flock of 37 MPs on July 22. Two party MPs have already declared that they would defy the party whip and so the Government may get the support of 37 SP MPs came, not 39.
The UPAâs third biggest worry is that it needs 16 out of the 20 MPs in the undecided block to vote for the Government, but these fence sitters have not committed their support yet.
<b>The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has five MPs, but its leader Shibu Soren wants his Cabinet berth back to support the Government.</b>
Former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief H D Deve Gowda has three MPs but he has not given his decision to the Congress yet. <b>Rebel JD (S) MP M P Veerendra Kumar has declared that he will vote against the government.</b>
Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh has three MPs, but he too wants a ministerâs post for his support.
The National Conference has two MPs but it has not decided what to do on July 22.
The Government needs the support of at least 272 MPs to survive in Parliament and till now race to get that support has not been won.