8 BSP MPs will switch sides, says Mulayam

New Delhi, July 20
With desertions in its camp, the Samajwadi Party (SP) today put up a brave front claiming that seven to eight MPs from the BSP would switch sides to vote in support of the UPA government in the Lok Sabha on July 22.

At a press conference here, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav admitted that some MPs had deserted his party, but claimed that it had been more than made up with MPs from other parties.

“We have a plenty of them. They (MPs from other parties) are making entry through back door where there are no TV cameras. Seven to eight BSP MPs are inside my house,” said party general secretary Amar Singh, sitting next to Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The SP chief claimed that support of 287 MPs had already been mustered in favour of the confidence motion. The UPA government needs 271 votes for victory.

Yadav alleged that the BSP, the BJP, Left parties and the UNPA were luring MPs supporting the government by offering up to Rs five crore for abstaining during the vote.

Both the SP leaders said the defection of Shahid Siddiqui would not matter as he was a member of the Upper House and claimed that he had switched sides after being assured of a Rajya Sabha ticket by the BSP as his term was ending in November. At the press conference, SP MPs Shankhlal Majhi, Chandra Dev Prasad Rajbhar, Shyama Charan Gupta and Shafiqur Rahman Barq alleged that they were being intimidated by BSP supporters and efforts were being made to influence them through money and muscle power.

Yadav accused the Left parties of coming together with the BJP to target him. The SP chief said he was “surprised and upset” at the Left coming together with the BJP to ensure the fall of the government. “The Left and the BJP were earlier trying to make me the Prime Minister. But now the very same Left parties are targeting me,” he said. — PTI