07-18-2008, 11:17 PM
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'Poaching will not affect my party MPs': Naveen</b>
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Asserting that no one could "poach" MPs belonging to the ruling BJD, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday claimed the UPA government at the Centre will lose the trust vote on July 22.
"The so-called poaching of MPs in the wake of the trust vote by the Congress-led UPA government will not affect my party MPs," Patnaik, who is also the president of the regional outfit, told reporters after returning from Delhi.
He said the UPA government did not take other political parties into confidence before going ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal and added, "It seems that they are in a haste to finalise the deal".
Patnaik said "they (UPA government) were not clear" on the deal. They should take views of others before entering into an important agreement.
He said his party BJD, a part of the NDA, will vote against the government during the trust vote.
Replying to a question, Patnaik said his party was ready to face the elections in the event of UPA government losing the trust vote.
The ruling BJD has 11 members in Lok Sabha and its coalition partner, the BJP, has seven MPs from Orissa.
Though Patnaik exuded confidence that his party was ready for the polls, seat sharing between the two partners is yet be finaliseed.
"I am busy with other work. I will hold discussions with senior party leaders before deciding on seat sharing with the BJP," Patnaik said adding that it would take little time to finalise which partner would fight how many seats.
Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, Congress has two seats and JMM one. Ruling BJD-BJP coalition together has 18 seats.
'Poaching will not affect my party MPs': Naveen</b>
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Asserting that no one could "poach" MPs belonging to the ruling BJD, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday claimed the UPA government at the Centre will lose the trust vote on July 22.
"The so-called poaching of MPs in the wake of the trust vote by the Congress-led UPA government will not affect my party MPs," Patnaik, who is also the president of the regional outfit, told reporters after returning from Delhi.
He said the UPA government did not take other political parties into confidence before going ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal and added, "It seems that they are in a haste to finalise the deal".
Patnaik said "they (UPA government) were not clear" on the deal. They should take views of others before entering into an important agreement.
He said his party BJD, a part of the NDA, will vote against the government during the trust vote.
Replying to a question, Patnaik said his party was ready to face the elections in the event of UPA government losing the trust vote.
The ruling BJD has 11 members in Lok Sabha and its coalition partner, the BJP, has seven MPs from Orissa.
Though Patnaik exuded confidence that his party was ready for the polls, seat sharing between the two partners is yet be finaliseed.
"I am busy with other work. I will hold discussions with senior party leaders before deciding on seat sharing with the BJP," Patnaik said adding that it would take little time to finalise which partner would fight how many seats.
Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, Congress has two seats and JMM one. Ruling BJD-BJP coalition together has 18 seats.