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Monday, July 21, 2008

United Progressive Alliance pads up for slog overs

The Murky backroom battle to gain control of India see-sawed all of Sunday as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) appeared to be just two short of the 272 votes it needs - before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh comes to the Lok Sabha on Monday to move a one-line motion to seek the House's confidence in his council of ministers.

But victory is not certain. The Opposition numbers at midnight on Sunday stood at 266, just four short of the UPA's figures as hectic meetings continued into the night. The Congress tried to keep its flock intact by asking party leaders - also deputed to snatch Opposition MPs - to host dinners, breakfasts and lunches.

The numbers game will continue its roller-coaster ride over the next two days. As the debate before the trust vote unfolds over at least 16 hours, one member parties and MPs are out to strike it rich or push their pet projects either through the UPA or the Opposition (graphic).

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Friday, July 11, 2008

Trust vote 'as early as possible'

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will seek a vote of confidence "as early as possible" in response to the Left's withdrawal of support to the UPA on the India US civil nuclear agreement.

According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique issued after the PM called on President Pratibha Patil on Thursday evening, the PM told Patil that "he and his cabinet colleagues (were) keen to seek a vote of confidence as early as possible." The PM spent 30 minutes with the President. The communique was based on a letter he handed to her.

The PM will communicate the exact date of the trust vote to the President on Friday. There was speculation on Thursday that the government may choose a date around July 22 to call a special Lok Sabha session for the vote. Though the date will be finalised only after meetings of the UPA and the Congress Working Committee (CWC), coalition MPs have been asked to be in Delhi by July 22. This will be the first time since the beginning of the coalition era in 1989 that a PM will seek a trust vote after four years in office- six PMs before Singh faced trust votes inside their first couple of years.

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Saturday, July 5, 2008

Samajwadi Party says yes in 'national interest'

He congress can breathe easy The Samajwadi Party's public endorsement on Friday of the India US civil nuclear deal as one "in national interest" enables the Manmohan Singh government to go to the IAEA with an easy mind and with the claim that it continues to enjoy the majority in the Lok Sabha.

While welcoming the latest convert to the deal on board, the Congress also got ready to bid farewell to the Left parties which had been extending outside support. The communists on Friday wrote to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the UPA-Left panel on the deal, to inform them by July 7 whether the government would approach the IAEA. The letter and the deadline raised the hackles of Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi who said, "Sovereign governments or political parties cannot be subjected to deadlines."

The government's response - when it comes would set the stage for the formal parting of ways between the partners who have had a uneasy relationship for over four years.

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Sonia takes centrestage

Consensus building within the UPA on the India-US nuclear deal in defiance of the Left and at the risk of early elections is proving to be difficult even with Sonia Gandhi taking centrestage to resolve the vexed issue.

The UPA leaders who drove down to 10 Janpath on Monday included NCP's Sharad Pawar, RJD's Lalu Yaday and LJP's Ram Vilas Paswan. Pawar was later closeted at his residence with CPM general secretary Prakash Karat for over an hour.

Coupled with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's vigorous defence of the deal, the outcome of Sonia's meetings with the UPA allies made doubly difficult her task of blending national interest with the political interests of the coalition she presides over.

In separate interactions with Sonia, the allies backed the deal but advocated a dialogue with the Left to avoid early elections. Weighing heavily on their minds were the rising prices, without controlling which they saw little prospects in the polls.

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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Red flag up, but UPA may push ahead

In the face of the Left's unrelenting opposition to the India-US nuclear deal, the Congress, in a major shift of stance, is seriously evaluating the political fallout of sewing up the India-specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA without their consent.

The postponement of the schedu1ed UPA-Left meeting on the issue on Wednesday saw hectic consultations in both camps. After being closeted with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Union Minister Kapil Sibal, a member of the panel for nuclear talks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee conferred with Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Others present at the meeting were Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel.

Congress sources confirmed to Hindustan Times the possibility of the government signing the agreement despite the Communists' rigid opposition. But the final call would be taken after the UPA-Left committee meeting now slated on June 25.

The urgency in the government's moves was explained to the tight deadlines for completing the next three stages in the deal: the IAEA safeguards pact, the NSG waiver and the up and down vote in the US Congress on the 123 agreement. There was some relief, however, after the US State Department's public assurance that Washington would push for the deal till January 20, the day the new President would take oath in that country.

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Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Women's quota bill tabled in Rajya Sabha amid high drama

The Landmark but contentious constitutional amendment bill providing 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament was finally introduced on Tuesday in the Rajya Sabha amid high drama and loud protests. Members of SP tried snatching the papers from Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj, demanding a sub quota for Dalits, backwards and minorities.

The Congress led UPA put in place a two-fold strategy to bring the bill in the House, which was adjourned for an hour after it was tabled, and subsequently adjourned sine die.

The first part was to ensure the bill's introduction amid the anticipated uproar and commotion. As part of a well-crafted plan, Congress and Left members like Ambika Soni, Kumari Selja, Brinda Karat cordoned off Bhardwaj (who deliberately occupied the second row) as he rose from the treasury benches.

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