07-18-2008, 09:57 PM
<b>Battle for survival of UPA govt. intensifies</b>
New Delhi (PTI): The battle for the survival of the UPA government intensified on Friday amidst speculation that two key players, Shibu Soren and Ajit Singh, may be baited with Cabinet berths after the July 22 trust vote to ensure the support of their eight MPs.
In the numbers game, the ruling UPA still appeared to be short of a dozen MPs from the magic figure of 271 and was heavily banking on small groups like the JMM, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), National Conference and JD(S) but signals coming the Deve Gowda-led party did not appear to be good.
Four days ahead of the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the pace of political manoeuvring picked up with some MPs coming out openly to say that they would defy their party whips. These included one each from the Congress and Samajwadi Party besides two from the MDMK, who will not toe the party line and who are expected to support the government.
As speculation mounted that the Congress leadership was willing to fulfil the wish-list of fence-sitters like Soren's JMM (5 MPs), Ajit Singh's RLD (3 MPs) and H D Deve Gowda's JD-S (3 MPs) were much sought after.
Indications available on Friday night raised the possibility of the JMM supporting the government in exchange for Soren returning to the Union Cabinet as Coal Minister, a portfolio he lost after being convicted in a murder case in which he was subsequently acquitted.
While Soren himself said very little, JMM chief whip Teklal Mahtao went on record to say that all the five party MPs would vote for the government. That did nothing to stop talk in political circles that the BJP was tempting him with an offer of chief ministership of Jharkhand.
New Delhi (PTI): The battle for the survival of the UPA government intensified on Friday amidst speculation that two key players, Shibu Soren and Ajit Singh, may be baited with Cabinet berths after the July 22 trust vote to ensure the support of their eight MPs.
In the numbers game, the ruling UPA still appeared to be short of a dozen MPs from the magic figure of 271 and was heavily banking on small groups like the JMM, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), National Conference and JD(S) but signals coming the Deve Gowda-led party did not appear to be good.
Four days ahead of the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the pace of political manoeuvring picked up with some MPs coming out openly to say that they would defy their party whips. These included one each from the Congress and Samajwadi Party besides two from the MDMK, who will not toe the party line and who are expected to support the government.
As speculation mounted that the Congress leadership was willing to fulfil the wish-list of fence-sitters like Soren's JMM (5 MPs), Ajit Singh's RLD (3 MPs) and H D Deve Gowda's JD-S (3 MPs) were much sought after.
Indications available on Friday night raised the possibility of the JMM supporting the government in exchange for Soren returning to the Union Cabinet as Coal Minister, a portfolio he lost after being convicted in a murder case in which he was subsequently acquitted.
While Soren himself said very little, JMM chief whip Teklal Mahtao went on record to say that all the five party MPs would vote for the government. That did nothing to stop talk in political circles that the BJP was tempting him with an offer of chief ministership of Jharkhand.