New Delhi, July 8
The Samajwadi Party Parliamentary Board today declared by consensus its support for the nuclear deal and for the UPA government in Parliament, even as signals emerged after the meeting that there was dissension in the party over the issue and some MPs might violate the party whip in case a no-confidence motion against the government was brought in Parliament.
The possibility of such a motion emerging increased today with the Left finally deciding to withdraw their support to the government. The Samajwadi Party with 39 MPs will play a crucial role in saving the Manmohan Singh government.
The party said it would issue a whip to the MPs to vote for the Congress if a no-confidence motion was introduced in Parliament.
A resolution passed by the board said the threat of communal forces was increasing as the polls were approaching, so there was an urgent need for the secular forces to unite.
Admitting that there were apprehensions among the MPs regarding the deal, SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said all doubts of the legislators had been clarified and they not only signed the resolution in support of the deal but also welcomed it.
Going by the attendance, the SP might have put up a joint front, but some MPs seemed not so happy with the party’s stand.
“Boss is always right. What else can I say?,” said one Lok Sabha MP when asked whether he supported the party
stand.
There were also indications that some MPs might go against the party whip “depending on whether and from where they were offered tickets by the BSP.”
Addressing a joint press conference along with party general secretary Amar Singh after the board meeting, Yadav said the board discussed the current political situation and decided that in the prevailing situation, voting for the government was the right strategy.
— UNI
