Descends the storm from the North
Spreading snowy cool wind
Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams: Chapter 29
Palash Biswas
I called the Marxist, Poet Minister in Tripura this morning. Famous as well as despised for his Dalitology, Anil Sarkar ringed back immediately and we discussed the political developments for hours.
Anil babu is satisfied with CPIM`s latest role in National politics and supports Prakash karat line. He is very happy with the projection of Dalit Queen MS Mayawati as the next Prime Minister of India.
I suggested , `Here you are!you are going to emerge as the saviour of the ruling Left in next election in West Bengal!'
He did not answer the question but commented, Only Mayawati and her Dalit Movement may escalate the Marxist Base in India. Polit Bureau has opted for the best and appropriate most political lines. They criticised my Poems on Mayawati. They alienated me so far and avoided the social realities in India. Now, you see the Marxist politics is heralding a new dawn. Ambedkar is going to be a significant part of Marxist Ideology.
Then he recited those poems which have been reprinted in Agartalla media this morning quoting his Dalitology and detachment of the Left from Dalit movement hitherto.
Though Anil Sarkar is known for his capacity as a Dalit leader to mobilise SC and ST Vote bank in West Bengal and Tripura, he is also known for his merciless criticism for Marxist Brahminical Hegemony. Though he always refrained to comment on Dalit and Muslim Insurrections in Nandigram and singur. He is the only top level Marxist leader who talks to me anytime. He is not interested in West Bengal Brand Power Politics.
Rather the leftist Dalit leader is much more interested to launch a national Dalit Movement and without any hesitation he supported the Casteology of Mayawati in spite of Party Ideology. At the same time, he was quite aggressive against the IN Law psyche of the Dalit intellectuals and leaders in Bengal. He told that any change is not possible in Bengal Scenario unless the Dalits asserts themselves in accordance with Ambedkar Ideology and casteology of Mayawati.
Anil sarkar also did not disclose anything what passed between him and his intimate friend Subhash Chakrabarti. He only hinted that Subhash Chakrabarti is quite happy with Prakash karat hard Line and the alliance with Ms Mayawati. This is, of course quite contrary to the media reports circulated in West Bengal. Anilda claimed that Subhash Chakrabarti supports his adventures with Dalit Movement.
Anilda informed me that he is launching a Mother Tongue campaign with Matribhasha Missions across North East. He had been in Guahati and addressed there Intelligentsia and North East nationalities. He would chalk out his programme in West Bengal very soon.
I think, this message is much more powerful than any of his poems on Mayawati which are beautifully translated in Hindi by Leeladhar Mandoloi, again a reputed poet and Krishna Kalpit.
He wrote;
The Himalayas in the North
Ocean lies in the South
Descends the storm from the North
Spreading snowy cool wind
And the wind stings
Disobedient and Unhumble
Hits the white colour skin
Very distressing
Descends the storm
Twenty first century belongs to Dalits
Twenty first century belongs to Exploited
Twenty first century belongs to Baba sahib
And to his obedient followers
Twenty first century belongs to the New Light.
Those who bear so much sorrow
Insult
Kicks
And persecution
Those who have been torn apart
On the Temple doors
Drinking wells
Those who have been driven away
Twenty first century belongs to them.
Hence, one Dalit woman
A non Aryan Girl
Becomes the general of Aryavart
Immediately
The sky is lit
Wind becomes storm
An earthquake begins.
Because a Prohibited Girl
Alone and alone
Becomes so big!
As if a great river!!
Emerging as the key player in the political drama unfolding ahead of Tuesday's trust vote, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday said the opposition camp had the "numbers" to topple the Manmohan Singh government. The opposition to the Manmohan Singh government gained further momentum ahead of the trust vote with the UNPA, BSP and the Left parties jointly declaring their resolve to go for the kill.
We may just guess the plights of the Dalit, Indigenous and minority leaders in Left circles since the very beginning of Brahminical Communist Movement in India. not only Anil Sarkar, SC ST OBC leaders in left countrywide including Left Ruled West Bengal and Kerala have always been cut to size. Anil Sarkar just survived for his strong political base and specific non Caste Hindu demography of Tripura. Kanti Biswas along with other SC ST leaders including Dinesh Dakua, Narayan Biswas , Bilasibala Shahees, Upen Kisku and Kanti Biswas have been slaughtered. The left never encouraged communist leadership from Cow Belt after PC Joshi and Jharkhande Roy. The Bihar Cpim Leader Ganesh Shankar Vidyarth lost in wildness. Even under grave political compulsion to convince the reluctant Muslim and Indigenous Vote Bank that the Left is against Imperialism as well as Fascism and it has equal distance with RSS, while the Left Brahminical Leadership known for Intense Hatred reserved Dalit, ST,OBC, Muslim, Dalit Liberation, Ambedkar, Kanshiram and mayawati had no way to project the Dalit Queen as next Prime Minister to get a n appropriate Esacpe rout out of the deepermost crisis ahead of impending Loksabha elections, the leaders in North India and those specially in Uttarpradesh have never been consulted.
I did not ask but I knew well that Anil Sarkar has not been consulted either.
The way Brinda karat superseded Subhasini Ali, the high profile daughter of Azad Hind captain Laxmi Sehgal and ex MP from Kanpur, Mayawati supersedes as Third Front Face ahead of all Brahmin and Caste Hindu stalwarts!
What a turnaround quite amusingI It is perhaps best time to recite the poems of Anil Sarkar!
Addressing reporters after a luncheon meeting with Left and United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) leaders in New Delhi, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said: "The government has to be ousted. All the MPs are working towards this."
"We have a one-point agenda - to topple the government," she said at a media conference, flanked by Left leaders Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan. The UNPA luncheon meeting with the Left and Mayawati was an obvious effort at forging a strong Third Front.
The meeting was held at 9, Safdarjang Road, the residence of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP K Yerran Naidu.
"I am completely sure of the figures," Mayawati said, but refused to give the numbers of MPs who were in the opposition camp.
She said all the 17 BSP members of parliament were with her and MPs from other parties were coming "on their own" to join her.
"I have told them that they should resign from their party, fight elections and join us," she said.
Communist Party-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Prakash Karat on Sunday said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) would be toppled in Tuesday's trust vote and warned the government against pushing ahead with the India-US nuclear deal in the event of losing the vote.A confident looking Karat, who even flashed an occasional smile during his media briefing at the CPI-M headquarters here, warned the Manmohan Singh-led government that the country will revolt if it went ahead with the deal after losing the trust vote.
"We wish to warn the government that in case you lose the trust vote, don't try to push the deal. Otherwise, there will be a revolt in the country," Karat said.
Karat said that the Left parties, the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and other smaller parties now had the numbers on their side to topple the UPA government in the vote of confidence.
Karat took on Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav for betraying the country and other parties by joining hands with the Congress and the UPA on the nuclear deal even after having openly criticized it inside and outside parliament only some months back.
"This is not the first time that the SP is doing so. It has betrayed the country and others twice earlier in 1999 and in 2002. This is the third time. They have no business to blame us for going with the BJP," Karat said.
The Communist leader said that the UPA government had failed on all fronts and was only committed to the Bush administration.
"They are least bothered about the price rise and inflation. This government should go," Karat said.
The party's central committee meanwhile appealed to all secular and democratic parties to vote against the confidence motion being brought by the UPA government.
"The Congress and the Samajwadi Party are desperately trying to mobilise the support of MPs using money power and unscrupulous methods. Even MPs who are convicted of serious crimes are being brought in support," the party said in a statement.
On a day of mixed tidings, the UPA government on Sunday got a major boost when the five-member JMM announced its support to the trust vote while the three-member RLD switched to the opposition camp, leaving the treasury benches still short of the magic mark of 271.
With worries on how to make up for the numbers, the government, however, got some comfort when suspended DMK member Dayanidhi Maran announced that he would abide by the party line in support of the motion.
Likewise, the Hyderabad-based Muslim Majlis also declared that it would give its lone vote in support of the motion. However, there may be bad news from the JD(S) camp which is giving all signals of going against the government.
Congress on Sunday remained unfazed by Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Ajit Singh's decision to vote against the government, maintaining that it has got enough numbers -- both "visible and invisible" -- to smoothly sail through the trust vote.
"We had not counted much on him (Ajit Singh). He was negotiating with each and everybody. Finally, what he does can still be a different thing," party media department chairman M Veerappa Moily told reporters.
Asked to comment on Singh's announcement that the three-MP RLD would vote against the confidence motion, Moily said, "we have enough numbers... visible and invisible numbers."
Replying to another query, he dismissed as rumours the speculation that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would resign ahead of the trust vote on July 22.
"These are rumours created by all interested quarters," he said.
Somen abandons Cong, joins force with MamataKolkata Newsline, India - 19 hours agoHe will now join the Mamata Banerjee-led front. The move strengthens Banerjee's front as Mitra enjoys a considerable clout in the state Congress. ... |
Don't push N-deal if you lose trust vote, CPI(M) tells UPA
New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) Asserting that the government and the nuclear deal would be "doomed" on Tuesday, the CPI(M) today warned that the country would "revolt" if the Congress-led UPA tried to push the agreement in the event of losing the trust vote.
"We wish to warn this government that in case you lose the trust vote, don't try and push the nuclear deal. The country will revolt," party General Secretary Prakash Karat said after a two-day meeting of the CPI(M) Central Committee.
Maintaining that the struggle against the nuclear deal would continue, he said one phase of this struggle was the trust vote. "The deal will be doomed and the government will be doomed on July 22." Charging the government with public betrayal, he said it had promised that the next step on the safeguards agreement would be taken only after the trust vote. Instead, "we see the spectacle of our officers scurrying to Vienna to try and hustle through the safeguards agreement with the (IAEA) Board of Governors." "You have already bypassed Parliament. You have also gone back on a public pledge because you are committed to (US) President (George W) Bush," Karat told the government.
Accusing the UPA of taking "desperate and unscrupulous steps to engineer defections", he said the Congress and the Samajwadi Party were trying to mobilise the support of unaffiliated MPs using "money power and unscrupulous methods".
"It is a shame on this government to use the votes of convicted criminals to sustain themselves in power," he said noting the difference between MPs who were convicted and those who were undertrials. PTI
PM to move one-line confidence motion
That this House expresses its confidence in the Council of Ministers — this is the one line motion that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be moving in the Lok Sabha on Monday
New Delhi: "That this House expresses its confidence in the Council of Ministers."
This is the one line motion that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be moving in the Lok Sabha on Monday soon after it commences its two-day session convened for the government to seek a trust vote in the wake of Left parties withdrawing support.
The Prime Minister is expected to commend the Motion for consideration of the House with a speech by way of opening the debate.
At the end of the two-day debate, he is also expected to reply to it before the motion would be put to vote.
Top leaders of the Congress as also its supporting parties are expected to participate in the discussion and Leader of Opposition L K Advani is among the likely prominent speakers from the BJP.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is the Leader of Lok Sabha, who could be intervening in the two-day long discussion given the fact he had headed the UPA-Left Committee that went into the nuclear deal.
The UPA is expected to field RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Congress ministers P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal who were all members of the Committee.
Gurudas Dasgupta of the CPI and Rupchand Pal and Mohd Salim from CPI-M would utilise the opportunity offered by the trust vote to attack the government and the deal.
Brajesh Pathak of the BSP is expected to be fielded by Mayawati to attack the government on the nuclear deal issue.
After the House assembles for the day, seven newly elected members would be taking oath following which Speaker Somnath Chatterjee will be paying obituary references to five former members who died during the intersession period.
There would be no Question Hour and the trust vote would be taken up immediately.
Off Whip CPIM MP and Lok Sabha Speaker , the Brahmin Don of Shantiniketan Promoter Builder Raj, Somnath Chatterjee has called a meeting of the floor leaders of the House on Monday ahead of the special session of Parliament to decide on the confidence motion. The meeting is being convened to discuss issues related to the trust vote being sought by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the wake of Left withdrawing support to the government on the Indo-US nuclear deal. Prakash karat is Humiliated for a lifetime experience as CPIM General secretary. Jyoti basu played a Revenge Play Protagonist. Voting with RSS has left the Communists in wildness so intense that they could not persude the Loksabha speaker.
Suddenly, the race is looking much closer than it seemed at the beginning. Congress managers, kept on the edge by would-be allies and independent MPs playing hardball, were looking over their shoulders on Wednesday as the rival Left-BSP camp got a boost with BJP mounting an operation to topple the Manmohan Singh government.
CPIM units in West Bengal and kerala have been caught unaware and underprepared for the ongoing crisis. The Right as well Left part of Americanised Bush Slave Zionist brahminical part of the Comrador Ruling Class and Ruling Hegemony dare not neglect any dictation from Washington! No political party ever hoped to upset the Apple Cart in wildest dream until Ms Mayawati jumped in the Arena of Power Game hitherto dominated by Bengali and Kerala Brahmins led by Pranab Mukherjee, Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechuri, Buddha Deb Bhattacharya and somnath Chatterjee. The FDI fed misinformation manipulation master Indian Media is crying with all the Screming Headlines evrything quoting National Interest and the prospect of Super Power Nuclear Hindu Nation. The RSS led by adwani and gang had the Option highlighetd so far. Maywati made irrelevant all those rubbish speculation with strategies with surgical precision. She seems to have won the Intellectual Strategical war in First round way ahead of Rivals and pushing the mighty Hindu aside! Although the government's negotiators maintained UPA was ahead in the numbers game and had been successful in rounding up some smaller partners and stemming efforts to poach its MPs.
Amongst all political parties, CPIM is the most Scared Flock facing the Tsunami of Elections ahead. But the Hirdliner JNU return marxist leadership is coincidentally the Fronrunners amongst all the Rivals for the Final KILL! West Bengal and Keral units have been stranded and dissidence has never been secret.
The Escape route emereged with a Master stroke of the Kerala Hardliner. It is, no doubt, the projection of dalit Queen Mayawatias the Next Prime Minister. The Communists strategy finally fielded Mayawati to face the Heat and Dust of Next Elections, specially the karishma of Mamta Bannerjee added with the Organisational skills of Somen Mitra. Since the NUKE Deal is auto piloted and implementing this GOI had to spare the much needed time of Horse trading, all rotten theories about Ideology, personality clash, hard line and Anti imperialism have become quite irrelevant. The topmost priority for the Left is to sustain Power Bases in three Left Ruled states. The agenda to appease a most reluctant Vote Bank has no way but to making way for Mayawati and casteology!While continuing with its efforts to garner a majority for the government in the Lok Sabha, the Congress party is simultaneously preparing to take the issue of the nuclear deal to the people and make it into an election issue.
hindustan times explains the crisis very well:
Soon after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared that the government would "very soon" approach the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to move forward on the Indo-US nuclear deal, an upset Left announced withdrawal of support to the UPA government. The move ended weeks of suspense on the issue. Now, with the PM declaring that there is no threat to the government's stability, stage is set for a flurry of activities on the political scene. The Communists had also come down heavily on the government for approaching the IAEA to finalise the India-specific safeguards pact. With more and more support making the number game crucial, the big question is whether the determined Left parties will be able to rock the Indo-US nuke deal boat?
With just two days left for the crucial vote of confidence of ruling Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), political scenario turned into a battleground on Sunday with politicians defecting amidst heavy lobbying in New Delhi. Meanwhile, Mayawati seems to have emerged as the key player in the political game that is all set to decide not only the fate of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led government but also of the US-India civil nuclear deal. Taking a stand against Mulayam Singh, Mayawati said that he is accusing her party of horse-trading without any proof. She further added that she is not responsible if members of SP voluntarily join her camp.
Amidst all the political drama, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), one of the former communist allies of the UPA who withdrew support leading to the vote of confidence motion in the parliament, reiterated its stand against the nuclear deal.
Prakash Karat, General Secretary of CPI (M) expressed hope that the UPA government will not see the light of the day after June 22, the day slated for the confidence vote.
"We have made up our mind to vote this government out of power on July 22. We do not wish that this government should stay in power after July 22," said Karat.
The hitherto blurred situation should be clear with the outcome of the 'political dinner parties' planned by various top politicians.
The government believes it has enough votes to avoid an early election after securing the backing of the Samajwadi Party, but observers say the trust vote could turn out to be close.
If the government loses, early elections will be called and a civilian nuclear deal with the United States, over which the government's communist allies withdrew support, could be buried.
The government needs to reach the 272 mark in the 543 member Lok Sabha to win the trust vote.
The Central Committee meeting of the CPI(M), ostensibly called to endorse General Secretary Prakash Karat's decision to vote against the UPA government in the upcoming trust motion in Parliament, spent a considerable time discussing the role of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, acknowledging her importance in the current political scenario.
In his report to the committee, Karat also mentioned his meeting with Mayawati, hinting at the future prospect of working with her.
The CPI(M) received support from Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on the Indo-US nuclear deal recently. For the first time since its inception, the BSP has joined hands with the CPI(M) on an issue as the two parties decided to co-operate to defeat the government in Parliament.
This took place along with discussions on the possibility of early Lok Sabha election. The CPI(M) feels the government may survive the trust vote on July 22 but may go for an election in November or December. The committee also discussed preparations for such a possibility.
Insiders said many committee members pointed out the potential of Mayawati in the emerging political situation. Although it is not clear how far the CPI(M) can get along with the BSP given that the communists regard it as a casteist force, the party wants to approach Mayawati with an open mind now that the SP has switched sides.
Many members also asked why Somnath Chatterjee has not resigned from the Lok Sabha Speaker's post.
However, the top leadership of the party is averse to putting pressure on Chatterjee due to the fear that he may resign both the Speaker's chair and the Lok Sabha membership after July 22.
In its party congress held in April 2008, the CPI(M) acknowledged that "the BSP has emerged as a strengthened force after the elections in Uttar Pradesh. It has used its base among the dalits to build a wider coalition of caste politics. This sort of caste based political mobilisation is sought to be introduced in other states by the BSP. This will have a major impact in parts of northern and western India."
Countdown UPA: Govt edges to safety but not there yet
CNN-IBN
New Delhi: The UPA Government is edging closer to winning the vote of confidence Parliament on Tuesday with CNN-IBN projecting that it is three short of the halfway mark.
There are 268 MPs for the Government and 266 MPs against it. The Government got a slight edge by Sunday evening after some NDA MPs have decided to switch sides and vote for it.
The Janata Dal (Secular) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal have decided to vote against the Government but the Government is wooing seven MPs who have not decided their votes, hoping they would either support it on Tuesday or abstain.
The Government is wooing seven MPs who have not decided their votes, hoping they would either support it on Tuesday or abstain. The Government needs two-three MPs to abstain on Tuesday, so that the halfway mark comes down to 267 or thereabouts.
On the other side of the political divide too, there are causes of concern. For the BJP, there is fear of some of its MPs abstaining. Its Balrampur MP Braj Bhushan has decided to support the UPA.
The UPA snared rebel Janata Dal (United) MP Ramswaroop Prasad, who announced that he would vote for the Government in "national interest".
News Stories for Mayawati
(Results 1 - 10 of about 1,336) Sort Results by: Relevance |
Date - 1.
Hindustan Times - Jul 20 4:59 AM Emerging as the key player in the political drama unfolding ahead of Tuesday's trust vote, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati Sunday said the opposition camp had the "numbers" to topple the Manmohan Singh government.
- 2.
New Kerala - Jul 20 6:36 AM New Delhi, July 20 : Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) supremo and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda Sunday joined hands with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati in efforts to topple the UPA government.
- 3.
The Economic Times - Jul 20 3:53 AM Taking forward their attempts to build a bigger Third Front and vote out the Manmohan Singh government, the Left parties and BSP chief Mayawati attended a lunch hosted by the remnant members of UNPA in New Delhi on Sunday.
- 4.
The Economic Times - 2 hours, 42 minutes ago Mayawati seems to have done a 'social engineering' of the numbers game and has emerged a king-maker for the front against UPA. Who can swing the trust vote?
- 5.
The Times of India - Jul 20 5:14 AM BSP chief Mayawati said that she is completely sure of the figures, but refused to give the numbers of MPs who were in the opposition camp.
- 6.
Hindustan Times - Jul 19 11:30 PM RLD chief Ajit Singh, whose party MPs are being counted upon by the UPA, on Sunday met BSP supremo Mayawati and discussed the current political situation.
- 7.
New Kerala - Jul 20 6:15 AM New Delhi, July 20: Taking forward their attempts to build a bigger Third Front and vote out the Manmohan Singh government, the Left parties and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati attended a lunch hosted by the remnant members of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) here Sunday.
- 8.
The Economic Times - Jul 20 5:54 AM Emerging as a key player in the political drama ahead of trust vote, Mayawati says Opposition has the 'numbers' to topple the govt. Who can swing the trust vote?
- 9.
New Kerala - Jul 20 6:30 AM New Delhi, July 20 : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati Sunday made it very clear that the Manmohan Singh government has to be toppled in Tuesday's trust vote.
- 10.
New Kerala - Jul 20 6:38 AM New Delhi, July 20: If Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati's smiles are any indication, she seems to have done a 'social engineering' of the numbers game in the national capital and has emerged a king-maker for the front against the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
The UPA Government is struggling to secure numbers to remain in power, hoping that defections and abstentions among parties would help it to win the vote of confidence in Parliament on Tuesday.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Ajit Singh dealt the first blow to the Government on Sunday when he announced that his three MPs would not support it during the floor test.
The Centre has decided to rename Lucknow's Amausi airport after his father, former prime minister Charan Singh, but that failed to impress the RLD leader. "The Congress is run by Amar Singh (Samajwadi Party leader). We discussed the issue and our MPs are not in favour of supporting the Congress because the SP is with them," he said.
The Janata Dal (Secular), which has three MPs, followed suit hours later with its leader and former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy announcing that he would support the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) in voting against the Government.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Ajit Singh on Sunday announced his three MPs would vote against the Government in the July 22 floor test in Parliament.
"RLD will vote against the Government in the confidence motion," said Singh after a meeting of his party MPs, who were against supporting a Congress-led Government backed by the Samajwadi Party.
"Congress is run by Amar Singh. We discussed the issue and our MPs are not in favour of supporting the Congress because the SP is with them," he said. "We also discussed the performance of the Government in the last four years as also the nuclear deal".
Singh announced his decision after meeting BSP chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati in Delhi. "The meeting with Mayawati was positive," said Singh.
The RLD chief said the nuclear energy is not a viable option. "Only two per cent of the energy needs are met from nuclear sources and if the deal is implemented we can meet only five per cent of the needs by 2030.
"Energy from Ethanol is cheaper than this, even solar and wind energy are competitive. I have been all along against the nuclear deal," he said.
PTI reports the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) will not issue a whip, but its two MPs will vote against the UPA Government.
The bit of good news for the Government was that Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Shibu Soren announced that his five MPs would vote for the Government on July 22. CNN-IBN learns Soren has bargained for the Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister's post for his son, a Union Cabinet birth for himself and a junior minister's post for one of his MPs in the UPA Government.
Asaduddin Owaisi, the lone MP of Majlis-e Ittehadul Muslimeen, would vote in favour of the Government. "Our basic aim is to stop the BJP from coming to power," Asaduddin Owaisi told PTI on Sunday. MIM is a constituent of the UPA but Owaisi had been holding his cards close to his chest.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who has two MPs, told CNN-IBN he had made his mind about whom to vote for but would not go public now. "I am not into making deals and striking bargains. You will know when I will speak in Parliament in the debate," he told CNN-IBN.
Kumaraswamy's father and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda said the party had collectively decided to vote against the Government. He made the announcement soon after BSP chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati met him and requested his support for the UNPA.
Votes for Congress
The Congress had some reason to cheer with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) finally ending days of suspense and deciding to support the ruling coalition in Tuesday's vote, expected late at night. JMM has five MPs.
JMM leader Shibu Soren, after meeting UPA chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday morning, announced he would support the Government. In return, Soren will get two ministries—one of cabinet rank and another a minister of state—for his party in the Centre. Soren's son has been promised the post of deputy chief minister in Jharkhand, his home state.
DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, estranged grand-nephew of party chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, also announced he would vote for the government. And so did the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, whose sole MP Asaduddin Owaisi said in Hyderabad that he considered the BJP a greater evil than the nuclear deal.
The UPA snared rebel Janata Dal (United) MP Ramswaroop Prasad, who announced that he would vote for the Government in "national interest".
The National Conference, which has two MPs, refused to make public its decision but sources tell CNN-IBN the party will support the Government.
The Government is wooing seven MPs who have not decided their votes, hoping they would either support it on Tuesday or abstain. Of these seven the lone MP of Trinamool Congress is likely to abstain.
Menawhile Samajvadi Party has to tell another story!
: The Manmohan Singh Government will 'bounce back' in Tuesday's trust vote as many MPs are joining in to show support, the Samajwadi Party said Sunday and hit out against the BJP and Left, which had become one.
"The Government will bounce back," Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh told reporters here. "You will be surprised to see the number of people who support the Government."
Denying that many MPs were leaving the party, the Samajwadi Party chief said they are "one and united" and those who have left are "opportunists".
"We have suspended five. But we continue to have 39 members," he said. The party has 39 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
"We are supporting the nuclear deal. We want to stop and weaken the communal forces. The nuclear deal is in the national interest. India has an independent foreign policy," Mulayam Singh told reporters here.
Targeting the Left parties, which withdrew support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government July 9 after the Government said it was going ahead with the nuclear deal, Mulayam Singh said: "The red flag and Lal Krishna Advani are one. The Left parties, the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) are one."
"We appeal to the Left to do politics of secularism. If anyone has fought against communal forces then it the Samajwadi Party," he added.
"The Left should think again (on withdrawing support) because they are supporting the communal forces (siding with the BJP in the trust vote)," he stated.
He charged arch rival and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati with offering money to MPs to stop them voting for the Government Tuesday.
Taking pot shots at Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, who said it would not be wrong to make Mayawati the Prime Minister, Singh said, "Please, talk less."
"Who is the supporter of the Muslims. Only the Samajwadi Party. I have never done any kind of agreement with the BJP," he said.
2 days to vote: SP crumbling, UPA stumbling
Saroj Nagi and Amit Baruah, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, July 20, 2008
With the Samajwadi Party unable to hold together its flock, the Congress-led UPA is banking on "surprises from some unexpected quarters'' to win the July 22 trust vote. And if this government goes, so does the nuclear deal, for now.
In a huge setback to the SP on Saturday, Rajya Sabha member Shahid Siddiqui crossed over to the BSP and Lok Sabha MP from Jalesar S.P. Singh Baghel became the fourth party MP to come out against the UPA.
The Samajwadi, which started off with a tally of 39, is now down to 35, with three rebels — Munawar Hasan, Raj Narain Budholiya and Jai Prakash — already ranged against the government. There is no certainty also about jailbirds Atiq Ahmed and Afzal Ansari.
If the government goes, said experts, so will the nuclear deal. "If the UPA loses the vote, then it is only logical that they halt the process," said former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal. "The confidence motion is an indirect vote to ratify the deal."
Strategic analyst K. Subrahmanyam said the civil nuclear accord would have to be pursued by a new government, if this government goes. "The whole process gets suspended till a new government takes it up. But the deal will survive. We have the Hyde Act and the 123 agreement in place," he added.
Though Siddiqui's resignation does not affect SP's numbers in the House, it would be deeply embarrassing for the party as it tries to mobilize support for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to continue in office.
Understandably rattled, UPA is looking beyond the SP for those magical numbers needed to take it beyond the halfway mark of 271. "We expect support from unexpected quarters from outside our traditional support base," said Union minister Prithviraj Chavan, adding, "We have built a cushion of surprise. There will be support from all parties excluding the Left."
Other party functionaries hinted at abstentions by MPs of the Akali Dal, BJD, Shiv Sena and even BJP MPs, particularly from Gujarat and MP. The UPA leaders had a strategy session at Pranab Mukherjee's house.
The numbers are slow in coming. The smaller parties are taking their time. They wil be joining the PM and is UPA MPS and party office-bearers for dinner at Hotel Ashok on Sunday.
After meeting Singh on Saturday, JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda was non committal. He will announce his stand on Sunday. The five-member JMM, too, continued to play hard to get.
Meanwhile, the Congress did an informal headcount of its 150-odd MPs when groups of members called on Sonia Gandhi.
"Less than a dozen could not come because of some commitment but they had informed about it,'' said an AICC leader.
Meanwhile MIMIM leader and UPA ally A Owaisi met the PM and Sonia Gandhi and assured them of his support for the UPA, saying he did not want to see BJP's LK Advani as PM.
Stay united, Sonia tells MPs
Gargi Parsai
`Baseless to say deal is anti-Muslim'
NEW DELHI: Even as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government prepares itself to face a `make or break' trust vote on July 22, Congress president Sonia Gandhi met party MPs at her residence here on Saturday and asked them to close ranks to ensure the government's victory. She distributed to each MP a booklet, "Facts About India's Initiative For Seeking International Cooperation in Civil Nuclear Energy.''
The MPs who met the party president said she looked "confident.'' She explained to them the merits of the India- U.S. nuclear deal and urged them to take it to the people across the country as a "necessity'' to meet power shortage.
She allayed the apprehensions of some Muslim MPs, saying that it was "baseless'' to think the pact was "anti-Muslim.'' "She asked the MPs to stand solidly behind the government and vote decisively for it,'' party general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, told journalists here.
Four MPs from Uttar Pradesh - Manvendra Singh (Mathura), Rajesh Mishra (Varanasi), Brijendra Singh (Aligarh) and Surendra Goel (Ghaziabad) - who were said to have been "approached'' to change sides, held hands and declared that they were "here and together'' with the UPA. Although R.L. Jalappa of Karnataka, who had expressed his unhappiness with the State Congress, was amongst the MPs from his State who met Ms. Gandhi, three others - M.H. Ambareesh (Mandya), N.Y. Hanumanthappa (Chitradurga) and A. Venkatesh Naik (Raichur) - did not come.
A.F. Golam Osmani of Barpeta in Assam, Arvind Kumar Sharma of Karnal and Kuldeep Bishnoi of Bhiwani in Haryana were absent. Emerging from the meeting with the party chief, the Kanakpura MP, Tejaswini Gowda, denied rumours about her going against the government on the trust vote.
"How can I join the BJP. I am a strong follower of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. The nuclear deal is for the country and I support it fully.''
Senior leader Veerappa Moily said Ms. Gandhi's meeting with the MPs was "a matter of courtesy.'' Asked whether the Prime Minister could resign before a trust vote, he said, "The question does not arise as we will win.''
Mayawati tests Delhi waters to become PMHerald Publications, India - 14 hours agoNEW DELHI, JULY 19— Mayawati, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, was the flavour of the day, as she tested Delhi waters ... |
Ajit Singh meets MayawatiChennai Online, India - 11 hours agoNew Delhi, Jul 20 RLD chief Ajit Singh, whose party's three MPs are being counted upon by the UPA, today met BSP supremo Mayawati and discussed the current ... |
Untouchable by birth, undaunted as a politicianIndependent-Bangladesh, Bangladesh - 22 hours agoLUCKNOW, India: Kumari Mayawati, a daughter of so-called untouchables and India's most maverick politician, stunned the nation last year when she won ... |
CPI (M) Central Committee meeting todaySify, India - 18 Jul 2008New Delhi: The CPI (M)'s Central Committee will meet in New Delhi on Saturday to chalk out its future strategy in the prevailing political turmoil. ... |
CPI(M) issues whip to MPs; Somnath left outHindu, India - 18 Jul 2008New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has been left out of the whip issued by CPI(M) to its MPs to vote against the Government on July 22. ... |
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Express India - Jul 18 2:03 PM The Mayawati government has decided to distribute 1.1 lakh two-room houses free of cost to people living under the Below Poverty Line in Uttar Pradesh.
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The Times of India - Jul 18 1:29 PM In sharp contrast to the TRS's prompt endorsement of BSP chief Mayawati as a future Prime Minister, the TDP on Friday said it was "very premature" to talk about the subject.
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NDTV - Jul 20 7:28 AM To read the biggest stories of the day on your mobile, type mobile.ndtv.com on your phone browser.
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Outlook India - Jul 18 11:38 AM In sharp contrast to the TRS's prompt endorsement of BSP chief Mayawati as a future Prime Minister, the TDP today said it was "very premature" to talk about the subject.
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Outlook India - Jul 18 7:39 AM The Supreme Court today refused to give any relief to hospitality companies, including ITC and Indian Hotels Company Ltd, whose land lease for building 14 hotels in Noida ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was cancelled by the Mayawati government.
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Jul 20 1:40 AM LUCKNOW, India — Kumari Mayawati, a daughter of so-called untouchables and India's most maverick politician, stunned the nation last year when she won majority control of India's largest state with an inventive political coalition that fused votes from up and down the ancient Hindu caste pyramid.
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The Times of India - Jul 19 1:14 PM After she became the first dalit CM, the BSP boss emerged as a sort of icon, with her appeal trascending UP borders.
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IBN live - Jul 19 12:17 PM The BSP chief calmly engineered defections from the SP camp.
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NDTV - 1 hour, 9 minutes ago Holding centrestage: BSP chief Mayawati addresses reporters after UNPA meeting in New Delhi. (NDTV) © Copyright NDTV Convergence Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
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The Times of India - Jul 20 7:03 AM BSP chief Mayawati with JD(S) leader Deve Gowda after a meeting in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)
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EARTHtimes.org - Jul 19 6:37 AM New Delhi - Political parties held hectic talks and strategy sessions in the Indian capital Saturday with the trust vote to be faced by the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on Tuesday most likely to be a close call. Prime Minister ...
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New Kerala - 1 hour, 32 minutes ago New Delhi, July 20: A trust vote is a motion through which the government of the day seeks to know whether it still enjoys the confidence of parliament.
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Calcutta News - Jul 18 10:48 PM The prelude to the July 22 trust vote in parliament on the nuclear deal on which the fate of the Manmohan Singh government depends has added yet another dark chapter of opportunism and horse-trading to Indian politics.
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New Kerala - Jul 18 11:01 PM By Amulya Ganguli: The prelude to the July 22 trust vote in parliament on the nuclear deal on which the fate of the Manmohan Singh government depends has added yet another dark chapter of opportunism and horse-trading to Indian politics.
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Hindustan Times - Jul 20 1:14 AM The banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) have called for a shutdown on Tuesday to oppose the India-US nuclear deal and threatened the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha not to support the Manmohan Singh government when it seeks the trust vote in parliament.
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New Kerala - Jul 20 5:37 AM Ranchi, July 20 : The banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) have called for a shutdown Tuesday to oppose the India-US nuclear deal and threatened the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha not to support the Manmohan Singh government when it seeks the trust vote in parliament.
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New Kerala - Jul 20 6:46 AM New Delhi, July 20: Indian bookmakers Sunday further shortened the odds on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government winning the trust vote in parliament July 22.
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India Daily - Jul 17 9:31 PM Indian government has to only see the agreement through the IAEA board. The next few stages will be spearheaded by the US, not India.
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The Economic Times - Jul 20 5:53 AM Concept of a trust vote started in '79 because in all elections before that the mandate was decisive & there was no need for a vote. Who can swing the trust vote?
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The Times of India - Jul 20 12:33 AM MUMBAI: Dalal Street is likely to get the much needed direction and stability after the vote of confidence on UPA government on June 22 this week, even as falling crude oil prices may impact positively, analysts say.