<b>FAQ: All about the trust vote</b>
July 17, 2008 16:19 IST
With days to go before the United Progressive Alliance seeks a trust vote in the Lok Sabha, a lot of questions persist over how exactly things will unfold on July 22, the day of the vote.
Should the Speaker resign? How do the numbers stack up? Which coalition will succeed in keeping its flock together?
While these questions will be answered only on the floor of the House when the vote actually happens, a lot of things are unclear about the process of the vote itself.
Why did the prime minister volunteer to prove his majority when the President hadn't asked him to do so? Is there anything called a confidence motion at all? And most important, can the government push the nuclear deal through even if it loses the vote?
One of the country's foremost constitutional lawyers and former solicitor-general Harish Salve took time off his busy schedule to demystify the trust vote, exclusively for rediff.com.
What is a trust vote?
A "trust vote" is a process by which the Council of Ministers establishes that it enjoys the confidence of the majority of the House of the People � ie, the Lok Sabha. It is done by the prime minister moving a resolution seeking support for his government.
What are the occasions/situations that necessitate a trust vote?
The fundamental basis on which the President appoints a prime minister is that he and his council of ministers enjoys the confidence of the majority of the House of the People (Lok Sabha). Normally it is only at the commencement of a new Parliament after general elections. However, if for some reasons the support base on which the prime minister was appointed is changed, the President can ask the prime minister to establish that he continues to enjoy a majority in the House of the People.
It is said there is nothing called a 'trust vote' or a 'confidence motion' in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. How then did such an exercise come into being?
The Rules of the House are only rules of procedure, they do not -- and cannot -- deal with substantive requirements of the Constitution. A trust vote would generally be by way of a motion (of confidence or no confidence as the case may be). If the motion (for confidence) is carried, it is called a trust vote in common parlance. There are no express provisions on how the Westminster form of democracy is to run -- it is based on convention and good sense. That is how these conventions have come into being.
When the prime minister met the President last week, she did not ask him to seek a trust vote. He offered to prove his majority. What are the situations when the President does not ask the prime minister to prove his majority on the floor of the House?
It is a matter of credit that the prime minister acted in conformity with the high traditions of democracy by offering to obtain an affirmative vote in his favour.
What would have happened if the government had not moved a trust vote after the Left parties withdrew support?
It was for the President to decide on whether to allow the prime minister to continue in office. Again, there are no express provisions, and the President is expected to act in a manner that is consistent with tradition and that furthers democracy. The prime minister holds office during the pleasure of the President -- so the President (if satisfied that a trust vote was called for, but the prime minister was unwilling) could have removed the prime minister from office. In practice, this would not happen -- knowing that recalcitrance can result in being removed from office, the prime minister would normally accede to the President's request to seek a vote of confidence.
What happens if the government loses the trust vote?
The government would be expected to resign. If it refuses, the President has the power to remove the prime minister � called dismissing the government. In practice, no government would refuse to resign.
How exactly is the motion worded? Will the issue over which support was withdrawn (in this case the nuclear deal) be included?
The motion generally is not issue-based -- it would be that the House has confidence in the government, or something like that. The issues may be discussed in speeches in the house, but would not form part of the text of the motion.
Is it true that there cannot be a no-confidence motion six months after a trust vote is passed? If not, when can the Opposition bring in a no-confidence motion?
Anytime.
Can another motion be brought in using a different issue in the same session, for eg on price rise?
Again, issues are not relevant for the purposes of the text of the motion. A motion can be brought the moment the Opposition knows the government has lost a majority -- not necessarily over an issue.
What is the Speaker's role? Is there a rule or a precedent for the Speaker's role with respect to the current scenario?
He controls proceedings in the House.
And yes, Speakers have always presided over sessions dealing with a trust vote.
If a government loses the trust vote, what will its powers then be? What are its powers when it comes to important legislations and bilateral agreements?
If it loses the trust vote (and resigns) it will be asked to continue as a caretaker government. Theoretically, it has the same powers. Again, as a convention, it would not take any major policy decisions, for Parliament would stand dissolved to pave the way for general elections. It would be expected to refrain from committing to any important legislation or agreements -- although in case of emergent need it does have the power to promulgate ordinances.
<b>Cong denies 'appeasement' policy before trust vote</b>
July 17, 2008 19:44 IST
The Congress on Thursday said that it was not indulging in a policy of 'appeasement' to woo smaller parties ahead of the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on July 22.
Replying to questions on the decision of the Union Cabinet to rename the Lucknow airport as Chaudhary Charan Singh airport, Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said he was a former prime minister and the decision to rename the airport was a good one.
"There is nothing much to read into it," Tiwari told reporters. Asked about the timing of the decision to rename the airport before the trust vote, he said the decision was pending for a while.
On the demand of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren for the Coal Ministry in lieu of support to the United Progressive Alliance government during the trust vote, Tiwari said it was the discretion of the Prime Minister.
"He is an MP, eligible and legally qualified to become a minister," he said, adding, "it is entirely up to the Prime Minister to take a decision."
In reply to another question on the 'compromises' the party was making to garner support for the trust vote, Tiwari said, "We have to understand that we are living in a federal polity". He rubbished reports that illegal demands were being made and accepted. "What is Constitutionally correct is also morally correct," the spokesman said.
<b>
Reacting to the Left statement that Congress is seeking the support of 'jailbirds' and tainted MPs for the vote, Tiwari alleged that in Bengal and Kerala [Images], there were hardly any Communist Party of India - Marxist leaders without criminal charges against them.</b>
The Rediff Special/ Krishna Prasad
Is an MP's loyalty worth only Rs 25 crore?
July 17, 2008
Krishna Prasad looks daily at the events leading to the political dharamyuddh on Tuesday:
The grisly sight of law-makers being bought out like horses to shore up governments is an old story, as anyone acquainted with the Veerappa Moily tapes in Karnataka from the early 1980s will vouch. But it seems to be fast becoming a national epidemic; a legitimate, almost acceptable, way of saving the government of the day.
In Karnataka, if MLAs are being purchased like insurance policies to help B S Yeddyurappa's BJP government on a rainy day, in Delhi MPs are being rounded up to help Manmohan Singh's [Images] Congress-led government in his hour of need next Tuesday.
Everyone, it seems, is naked in the Augean stables of Indian politics.
The CPI's AB Baby, Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan, told a public meeting on Monday that the going rate for MPs was around Rs 25 crore to help save the UPA government during the number count. This was, of course, denied with due self-righteousness by Congress media mavens like Jayanti Natarajan and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
And, as if on auto cue, Amar Singh produced a mandatory sheet of paper for the cameras to claim that Mayawati was buying up MPs for Rs 30 crore to achieve the opposite: to bring down the UPA government.
Either way, though, buying and selling is happening.
Mail Today, the tabloid newspaper from Delhi, has a story in Wednesday's issue in which two Samajwadi Party MPs, Akshay Pratap Singh from Pratapgarh ('They asked me to take Rs 25 crore and stand by the Opposition or face the consequences') and Munawwar Hasan from Muzaffarnagar ('Men carrying suitcases were knocking at my door'), confirm Bardhan's worst fears.
Munawwar Hasan, a rebel Samajwadi Party MP who has decided to vote against the UPA government, in what looks like a telephone conversation, tells the paper:
(begin transcript)
<b>
What you told me last night has been confirmed by A B Bardhan. He is also talking about Rs 20 crore to Rs 25 crore being exchanged. Have they fixed an amount?</b>
Yes, they must have decided to fix a rate.
<b>
Who are these people?
</b>
Those who want to save the government. Who else? You think about it yourself, who else would try to save the government?
<b>
I want to know who this man was who had met you and what did he tell you?</b>
He said he was a chartered accountant of a company. He said he worked for big companies and his name was Rupesh Kumar. He said he could make all arrangements.
<b>
What amount did he quote?</b>
Whatever I told you.
<b>
Rs 20 crore to Rs 25 crore?</b>
Yes.
<b>
What did he look like?</b>
He was good looking, tall and handsome, looked like a big manager of some company.
<b>
What did he say?
</b>
He said there was no problem. He said he could do it and asked me to trust him.
<b>
What could he do?</b>
He could make the money possible.
(end transcript)
By itself, the transcript does little to confirm the rumour. But it throws up some questions: Like, is an MP's loyalty only worth Rs 25 crore when MLAs seem to be extracting a lot more from their suitors in the states? Or is the Left out of touch with reality in their estimation of MPs' worth too?
Is Rs 25 crore just for casting the vote on D-day or for continued loyalty during the remainder of the UPA regime? Will a party or its moneybags make the mistake of giving cash after the JMM episode singed P V Narasimha Rao? Or are the Samajwadi MPs indulging in a bit of bluster to increase their bhaav (worth)?
There is an additional bit of irony in all this.
<b>
The India-US nuclear deal may be the next best thing since sliced bread. And Manmohan Singh may be integrity personified.
But the fact that to save both, criminals have had to be hauled out of jails, the sick and ailing have to be brought in on stretchers, that truant film stars have to be dragged away from overseas locations kicking and screaming, and that lawmakers have to be purchased like this, tells its own story.
Or is everything par for the course when it comes to cause and country?</b>
<!--emo&  --><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> Numbers are in flux. But the government is roughly a dozen votes short of the 272 majority.
There are around 20 MPs who are undecided, torn between supporting the opposition led by BJP and the Leftists on the one hand, and the Congress party-led coalition on the other.
"As of now, Congress does not have the assured support of the majority and therefore I would reduce its prospects further to around 50 pc," analyst Seema Desai of Eurasia consultancy wrote in an e-mail message.
"Right up till the vote, things could change" said Desai, who last week had given the government's survival chance at 70 per cent.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Co...-finish/336886/
<b>Trust vote: Jaitley challenges Congress to secret ballot</b>
Onkar Singh in New Delhi | July 17, 2008 20:37 IST
Arun Jaitley, general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, challenged the Congress party to go in for secret ballot to decide whether more BJP MPs favour the nuclear deal than those in Congress.
He was briefing newsmen after a meeting of senior leaders and chief ministers of the National Democratic Alliance held at the residence of Lal Kishenchand Advani.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yedyurappa could not attend the meeting as they were busy in their state work respectively.
"Congress party's popularity is dropping and does Rahul Gandhi [Images] want to have a secret ballot on whether our young MPs favour the deal or not," he asked.
Earlier, he refused to comment on Rahul Gandhi's statement made in Amethi that the deal is more important than the government. "I would rather not comment on this issue," Jaitley remarked.
He claimed that the chief ministers of the NDA endorsed the stand of the NDA and will ensure the defeat of the Manmohan Singh's [Images] government. He rejected the proposal that the Akali Dal should issue a whip to ensure that all the MPs of the party vote against the government.
"When a man of Badal's stature assures you that the party is united and would vote with BJP, you don't have to ask for whip," Jaitley said.
He listed a number of issues that the NDA MPs would take up during the debate on the confidence motion.
"We would stress on the nuclear deal and the government's all round failure on all fronts, including price rise and inflation. The government has not been able to take a stand on various issues and has failed on the internal security front. NDA members would meet on July 20 where they may take a stand on the speaker's issue," he said.
However, he refused to give the details of the number of MPs who may vote with the NDA saying that this figure is available on television networks and Web sites.
07-18-2008, 06:00 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-18-2008, 06:13 AM by Capt M Kumar.)
From the desk of Capt M Kumar:
Pl note that I have changed the title slightly. Here are various scenarios:
Scenario #1:
UPA survives.
No big deal as the Trust vote is under rule # 184.
Very smart on the part of 1 who gave notice like this.
And if it is Cong itself, it has committed hara-kiri. Here is why:
Alternative to Scenario #1.
No confidence motion under rule # 198.
So practically, there may be no breather for Cong and it will die of exhaustion.
Scenario #2:
UPA fails.
Elections at the earliest.
<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'><span style='font-family:Optima'>To conclude:
So, opposition can have cake and eat it too.
Panchon ugliyan ghee mein.
Dono haathon mein ladoos.</span></span>
http://politicsparty.com/trust_vote.php<b>
VOTING ATTITUDE OF 543 LOK SABHA MPs
18 JULY 2008
FOR GOVERNMENT LIST</b>
PARTY VOTING FOR GOVT
MPs VOTING FOR GOVT
Sonia Congress 147
Mulayam Samajwadi Party 35
Lalu Yadav Rashtriya Janata Dal 24
Karunanidhi DMK 16-Maran 15
Sharad Pawar NCP 11
Ramadoss Pattali Makkal Kachchi 06
Shibhu Soren Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 05
Ramvilas Paswan Lok Jana Shakti Party 04
Ajit Singh Rashtriya Lok Dal 03
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 4-2 with Vaiko 02
Mitra Sen Yadav BSP Dissident & Akshay Pratap Singh 02
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party 01
Bharatiya Navshakti Party 01
Republican Party of India(A) 01
National Loktantrik Party 01
Narendra TRS Dissident 01
Sikkim Democratic Front 01
S K Biswmuthiary, Kokrajhar, Assam 01
Mani Charenamei Manipur 01
Mohan Delkar Dadra and Nagar Haveli 01
Mizo National Front01
MPs VOTING FOR UPA GOVERNMENT: TOTAL = 264
This Figure will fall if Some of Mulayamâs MPs decide to
Team up with Mayawati to Vote Against the UPA Government.
AGAINST GOVERNMENT LIST
PARTY VOTING AGAINST GOVT
MPs VOTING AGAINST GOVT
Advani Bharatiya Janata Party130
Karat Communist Party of India Marxist43
Mayawati Bahujan Samaj Party16
Bal Thackeray Shiv Sena 12
Navin Patnaik Biju Janata Dal 11
Bardhan Communist Party of India 10
Badal Shiromani Akali Dal08
Nitish Kumar Janata Dal (U)08
Dissidents Sonia Congress 153-6 Dissidents06
Mulayam Samajwadi Party Rebels04
Chandrababu Naidu Telugu Desam Party05
Athawle Revolutionary Socialist Party03
All India Forward Block03
Chandrasekhara Rao Telangana Rashtra Samiti02
Brindaban Goswamy Assam Gana Parishad02
Vaiko MDMK02
Kerala Congress 01
Veerendra Kumar Janata Dal (S)01
Owassi Majlis Ittehadul Muslimmen01
E. Ahmad Muslim League01
Chhewang Ladakh01
Nagaland Peoples Front01
Jharkhand Vikas Dal01
Harish Nagpal Amroha01
MPs VOTING AGAINST UPA GOVERNMENT: TOTAL = 273
CONFUSED
ABSTAINING PARTY
ABSTAINING MPs
Mamata Banerji Trinamul Congress01
DMK Dayanidhi Maran01
MPs ABSTAINING : TOTAL 02
STILL BARGAINING
UNDECIDED PARTY
UNDECIDED MPs
Deve Gowda Janata Dal02
Farookh Abdullah J&K National Conference 02
UNDECIDED MPs : TOTAL 04
Trust vote: UPA could miss the bus
If there is a palpable sense of nervousness amongst the UPA constituents over the trust vote, it is not without reason. Behind the veneer of bravado they must be a worried lot. With the Opposition boasting of a minimum of 265 committed votes and undecided accounting for 11 votes, the Congress will have to struggle for every vote. The spectre of defeat looms large. Check out the scenarios...
The PICTURE
FOR UPA: 265 committed votes including 5 of JMM.
Against: 265 committed votes
Undecided 11
Abstaining: 1 (Trinamool Congress)
The MATH
House: 543.
One MP without vote takes the tally to 542.
Once the Speaker is selected electorate will be 541.
Since the Speaker will be from the UPA this brings down their number to 264.
Since Mamata is abstaining the electorate will be 540.
We also assume that the Speaker wonât vote unless it is a tie.
Effectively, the UPA will need to get 271 votes.
Scenario I
JMM which has been miffed by the UPA before exits the UPA. The game is as good as up as the UPA committed vote number will be 259. Assume that JMM will settle for the Coal Ministry and a MoS, the front still needs 264 + 7 votes to win. Which means M/s Amar Ahmad and Antony will have to bag both the independents on the fence, both single digit parties (AIMIM & NPF) and at least one of the twoâJD(S) or RLD to take their tally past the 270 mark.
Reality Check
AIMIM will find it tough to defend voting for the N Deal in Mecca Masjid Hyderabad. NPF will have to worry about its coalition at home with BJP and NCP. RLD is in serious negotiations with BSP.
Scenario II
JD (S) and RLD support the UPA. That will take the UPA tally to 269. With a leg-up from one of the undecided independents the front will cross the Rubicon.
Reality Check
Congress will have to part with at least two cabinet posts and two MoS slots besides seat arrangements for RLD in UP and for JD(S) in Karnataka. The ministerial berths shouldnât be an issue but the logjam at electoral alliances will bust the deal.
Most Plausible Scenario.
Scenario III
RLD goes with BSP which takes the vote against the UPA to 268. Theoretically, the UPA can still bag 272 seats but this is politics. The hurdle will be set higher and the UPA managers will have to get all the eight seats including AIMIM and National Conference to cross the halfway mark.
Reality Check
This will be nothing short of a miracle but could happen because the theory is that MPs donât want elections just now. That said, fact is PDP and NC have never been on the same side of the divide so the best shot would be 270 just below the cut off.
Scenario IV
Omar Abdullah may favour the deal as he has publicly accepted but with PDP already at the UPA table he may at best decide to abstain. This will bring down the size of the electorate to 538 but UPA will still require at least 269 votes. Which means UPA which will have 264 votes after getting its speaker elected will have to bag JD(S) and RLD or one of them and all the four single digit entities.
Reality Check
Thupstan Chewwang wants Ladakh to be nominated a union territory, we donât know what the Manipur MP may want while JD(S) and RLD will seek high profile ministerial berths.
Scenario V
JD(S), AIMIM and NC abstain taking the size of the electorate to 535 and the victory target to 268. The UPA will have to virtually beg RLD to come into the ministry and offer sops to the MPs from Nagaland, Manipur and Ladakh.
Reality Check
This could just happen and if RLD goes with its proposed scatter front alliance along with TRS and BSP the game is pretty much up for the UPA.
Worst Scenario
JMM and RLD hook up with BSP. That takes the committed vote strength of UPA to 259 and the opposition strength to 268. The UPA will then need 12 votes to push past the halfway mark to a single vote majority of 271 in the electorate of 540. But there are only 11 undecided votes.
Reality Check
If one more MP decides to join Mamata and abstain, there could well be a tie at 269-269.
Disaster Scenario
As of now at least nine Congress MPsâ3 from UP, 4 from Karnataka, 2 from Tamil Naduâare being wooed by the BSP with an assured ticket, election funding plus discomfort allowance. Even if five of these succumb the UPA would have lost the race before it even starts.
Reality Check
Congress managers have identified almost all of them and Sonia Gandhi is expected to personally assure them of her backing in their issues.
The permutations and combinations are endless but what is coming through is that NC will abstain: 2 seats
JD(S) will abstain: 2 seats
AIMIM will abstain: 1 seat
That brings the size of the electorate down to 535 requiring a majority of 268. With 264 committed votes the UPA could theoretically be scraping through. Except there is a big question mark over JMM. There is also the question mark about Congressâ own flock sticking together. Every which way Sonia Gandhi must be wishing that she had pulled down the government last August or wishing she had simply pushed for dissolution when the Left pulled the rug. At least it would have been saved of the radiation resulting from its association with SP.
The numbers as they stand now:
<img src='http://mediaservice.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday//images/732/080717103752_UPA.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<b>CPI (M) flays Congress on 'taking recourse' to convicted MPs</b>
New Delhi (PTI): As the numbers game is in full swing ahead of the July 22 trust vote, CPI(M) on Thursday stepped up attack on the Congress on the issue of "taking recourse" to convicted Lok Sabha MPs to save the government.
The CPI(M) Polit Bureau said there were reports that some of the Lok Sabha MPs who have been convicted for "serious crimes" and who are in jail are being mobilised to support the government in confidence vote.
While legally the convicted MPs may get the right to attend Parliament and vote, "there is a question of political morality involved," the party said in a statement.
"The Congress leadership will be seen by the entire country as taking recourse to convicted criminals for sustaining their government," it said.
The statement pointed out there were three members who were convicted on criminal cases -- Pappu Yadav, Mohd Shahabuddin (RJD) and Suraj Bhan (LJP).
While Yadav has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of CPI(M) MLA Ajit Sarkar, Shahabuddin was awarded life sentence in a case of kidnapping with intent to murder besides facing charges in the case of murder of a CPI(ML) leader Chandrasekar.
Bhan was convicted in a case of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, the statement noted.
How can convicted MPs be allowed to vote? asks ex-BJP MP
July 17, 2008 19:47 IST
Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pradeep Gandhi, who lost his Lok Sabha membership over the cash-for-query operation, on Thursday questioned the 'morality' in allowing convicted members to participate in the trust motion to save the government.<b>
He said on corruption charges he and nine other MPs were dismissed from the House, whereas murder convicts are allowed not only to participate in the debate, but also the trust vote.</b>
"It is against morality," he wrote to Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.
"We were literally killed in the House on the allegation of corruption charges. People, who are convicted of murder charges are being allowed to participate in the trust motion to save the government," Gandhi told PTI in Raipur on Thursday.
Two different standards were maintained between 2006 and now, claimed Gandhi, who had vacated his MLA seat to enable the Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh to enter the state assembly and in return, he got elected to Lok Sabha from Rajnandgaon during the 2004 poll as a BJP candidate.
Gandhi, who lost his Lok Sabha membership in 2006 after being caught in camera accepting cash to raise questions in Parliament, said he had also written to the speaker, questioning the decision to allow convicted members to participate in the voting.
When the Left parties have levelled allegation of horse trading to win the trust motion, the speaker should also take all such steps to check that, Gandhi, said.
The BJP leader said he plans to meet various national leaders in the next three days to campaign for the move not to allow the convicts to participate in the trust motion.
When 10 members were dismissed over cash-for-query operation, they were not given much scope of hearing whereas in the case of convicted members, some of them who are even facing murder charges, are being allowed to continue as members of the House, the BJP leader said.
People, who have killed human beings, are allowed to continue as members of the House whereas through 'conspiracy', 10 members were 'trapped' and for that they lost their membership, Gandhi said.
At least this time on grounds of morality, convicted members should not be allowed to cast their votes in the trust motion, he said.
07-18-2008, 11:55 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-18-2008, 11:55 AM by acharya.)
<b>Trust vote: Karnataka Congress MP confirms support for government</b>
Vicy Nanjappa in Bengaluru | July 17, 2008 22:45 IST
On Thursday morning speculation was rife that two MPs from the Congress would vote against the party in the trust vote to be held on July 22. As the day progressed, the rumour was that two MPs from the Congress in Karnataka, R L Jalappa and Ambarish were being wooed by the Bharatiya Janata Party to vote against the Congress on July 22.
R L Jalappa, a senior Congress man representing the Chikkballapur parliamentary constituency in Karnataka, however dismissed this as a speculation. He spoke to rediff.com about his plans and maintained that he was very much a Congress man.
Jalappa said that he is confident that the Congress would sail through the trust vote and remain in power till the end of its term. He said that certain vested interests were trying to drag him into a controversy by spreading rumours that he would vote against his party.
I say with a lot of confidence my party will win the trust vote. I am Congress man and will remain so till the last moment and there is no question of me voting against my party. I am off to New Delhi to attend the party meeting and my information is that all is well within the Congress.
When questioned about the BJP trying to woo some Congress men from Karnataka to vote in favour of the motion on July 22, he said, "As per my knowledge, it is all a rumour and no BJP man has even tried contacting anyone of us. I am sure that all the MPs from the Congress, even in Karnataka, will vote against the motion and see the Manmohan Singh [Images] government through."
Jalappa had earlier said that he would not vote for the Congress if it tied up with the Janata Dal-Secular. He said there were certain issues earlier and that now they are non-existent at the moment. Such small differences can be sorted out later, but the prime concern is now to save the government, he said.
Jalappa further added that not only will the government pull on, but the nuclear deal will also go through. It is a minor setback as of now, but I am confident that everything will sail through smoothly, he also added.
While Jalappa made his stand clear, there was no word from another MP, Ambarish. No official statement was made by him and sources close to him said that he did not wish to comment on the subject.
Nuke deal fallout <b>
Shibu Soren goes into hiding, gives shivers to UPA</b>
Thursday, 17 July , 2008, 20:55
Last Updated: Thursday, 17 July , 2008, 21:02
New Delhi: Where has JMM supremo Shibu Soren disappeared?
Popularly known as âGurujiâ in Jharkhand, the 64-year old tribal leader is giving anxious moments to the UPA government as stand of its five Lok Sabha members on the trust vote is still a closely guarded secret.
The day began with Congress leaders trying to establish contact with Soren and "seek his party's support" for the July 22 vote.
The JMM leader arrived in the capital late on Wednesday night from Kolkata and went into hiding since then keeping Congress managers on tenterhooks throughout the day.
With stalwarts of the Congress throwing up their hands in failing to trace Soren, who nurses a grievance that he has not been re-inducted into the Union cabinet, the job was handed over to Mabel Rebello -- a little known party MP, elected to Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand.
MPs belonging to the Jharkhand outfit are among over 20 Lok Sabha members who hold the key to the fate of the government during Tuesday's confidence vote.
<b>Manmohan speaks to Deve Gowda; seeks support</b>
Friday, 18 July , 2008, 12:01
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday spoke to JD-S chief H D Deve Gowda seeking his party's support during the trust vote in Lok Sabha.
<b>Future generations will recognise value of N-deal: Sonia</b>
Thursday, 17 July , 2008, 15:19
Last Updated: Thursday, 17 July , 2008, 16:59
Nellore: The India-US nuclear deal was in the nation's interest and the government would not compromise on it, a combative Congress chief Sonia Gandhi asserted on Thursday in her first public remarks after the Left withdrew support to the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
"We will not compromise on the nuclear deal because it is in the national interest. We need latest nuclear technology and fuel power from other countries," Gandhi said at a crowded rally in this Andhra Pradesh town, about 500 km from the state capital Hyderabad.
With only five days to go before the Congress-led government faces the crucial trust vote in parliament, Gandhi also asserted that the ruling coalition "was not compromising on our national security and foreign policy".
In a strong defence of the much discussed deal and of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Gandhi added: "The nuclear agreement is in the best interest of the country. Future generations will recognise the value of this nuclear agreement and what the prime minister is doing today."
She hit out at the Left and the opposition for their criticism on the deal and said the Congress did not need a certificate from anyone on patriotism and national interests.
"Which party gave India the independence and an independent foreign policy? It is the Congress party and no other party. It is the Congress party, which launched and strengthened the nuclear programme. We need the support of other parties but we don't need a certificate from any party on our patriotism and national interests," she said.
She was launching the Rajiv Arogyashri, the second phase of a health insurance scheme for the poor named after her late husband Rajiv Gandhi.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government was reduced to a minority last week after the Left parties pulled out following differences over the nuclear deal. The government faces a trust vote in parliament July 22.
<img src='http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/18/images/2008071857360101.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Sorry I havent been really following this issue completely but from little i understand, i think UPA is going to stay.
INC knows its going to loose if LS elections are called today. No deal is worth that..
Meanwhile commies know they cannot talk to their core constituency after having supported capitalist and now capitalist-imperialists, so they are making a big show. This show will help them balance their support of UPA as well as support of communal BJP - better this way if elections are held now, even better if elections are held 6 months from now.
Ambanis are not Marwaris - Marwaris are from Marwad in Rajasthan. Ambanis are Gujjus from Saurashtra. I think they are Vaishnav Baniyas. They could be kathiyawadi patels but from my vague memory i think they are baniyas.
<b>JMM to support UPA Govt in confidence vote: Report </b>
Reuters
Posted online: Friday , July 18, 2008 at 04:03:26
Updated: Friday , July 18, 2008 at 04:03:26
New Delhi, July 18: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, which has five MPs in Parliament, will support the UPA Govt in next week's confidence vote, said the party's chief whip, Teklal Mahto.
Ahead of Tuesday's vote, the Congress party-led ruling coalition and Opposition parties are desperately tying up support, with analysts saying the outcome was too close to call.
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Govt will win confidence vote, corporate have no role: FM</b>
Posted online: Friday , July 18, 2008 at 04:33:04
Updated: Friday , July 18, 2008 at 04:33:04
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New Delhi, July 18: Exuding confidence that the UPA government will win the vote of confidence comfortably, Finance Minister P Chidambaram rejected allegations of horse-trading and corporate money power playing a role in the trial of strength.
He also made it clear that the government would not abdicate its responsibility in managing the economy saying it would be in office till the next elections.
"It is all entirely speculative. It is a creation of the media. I don't think corporates have any role in either saving or defeating the government. I think it is an exaggerated notion of corporate power," he said in an interview.
He was replying to queries on media reports about the influence of the corporates and their money power in the ensuing vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha on July 22.
On the chances of government's survival, he said, "My colleagues in the party, especially party officials, are extremely confident that we will win the confidence vote comfortably."
He also deplored CPI leader A B Bardhan's allegation that UPA was buying MPs for Rs 25 crore each for survival and was using the corporates in this terming it as âoutrageousâ.
"We have lost the art of moderation in politics. Every accusation and every statement is either exaggerated or extreme. The allegation of Rs 25 crore to win over an MP is outrageous.
"There is no basis for this allegation. We must return to the politics of moderation and use only moderate language and rhetoric in commenting on political development,"
the Finance Minister said.
<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.
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