Abstention could be the key

NEW DELHI, APRIL 16: It's the season of poaching in Parliament and outside.And the poachers are from the ruling BJP as well as the Opposi...

NEW DELHI, APRIL 16: It8217;s the season of poaching in Parliament and outside.And the poachers are from the ruling BJP as well as the Opposition Congress,out to get the elusive magic figure which holds the key to power.With the late-night developments leading to a tie between the BJP andCongress camps both have 268, the fate of the Government would depend onthose present and voting in the Lok Sabha tomorrow.

If Gopinath Munde, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, who is a key memberof the BJP8217;s Operation Salvage8217; team, is to be believed, not more than 530MPs would be present in the House. The feat, if achieved, would bring downthe magic figure to 265 for survival of the government.

The BJP has already obtained the support of 268 MPs. Munde and others in theBJP are banking on abstentions in the House due to 8220;sickness8221; afflictingthe MPs. His brother-in-law and Information and Broadcasting Minister PramodMahajan had already gone on record earlier saying that the fate of theGovernment would be decided by those 8220;present and voting8221; in the House.

Malti Devi, a Rashtriya Janata Dal MP, is in the US undergoing treatment forcancer and cannot make it. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh has,meanwhile, reinstated a suspended IAS officer yesterday. The officer ishusband of Samajwadi Party MP Omwati. Kalyan Singh is reported to haveconveyed to the party high command that they need not depend on the BahujanSamaj Party8217;s five MPs as he would get two more non-BJP MPs to abstain fromthe House.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat succeeded in hisattempts to win over Anand Mohan Singh RJP to the party8217;s fold from theCongress side.

Former prime minister Chandra Shekhar is opposed to Sonia Gandhi taking overthe reins of the country though he is on record saying that he would voteagainst the BJP. Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh is also strongly opposedto Sonia Gandhi and has been seen with Shekhawat. They had lunch with someBJP leaders today.

Right now efforts are on to persuade Bhim Singh Dahal of the SikkimDemocratic Front and Thakur Chhota Singh of Manipur to abstain if theycannot support the BJP.

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So far, the BJP has scored over its rivals. The BJP8217;s principal poacherPunjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, along with former Delhi chiefminister Madan Lal Khurana, managed to bring back the four-member IndianNational Lok Dal. When Badal wanted Om Prakash Chautala to meet the PrimeMinister, the INLD leader declined, saying, quot;I have full faith in you. Thepromises would be fulfilled.8221;

The support of the six DMK MPs had already been enlisted by Union HomeMinister L K Advani, whose two-member high-powered team had given a cleanchit to the Karunanidhi government last year when it visited the state foran on-the-spot assessment of the law and order situation there.

Rajnath Singh, president of the UP unit of the BJP, had a long conversationwith Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party. What transpired between them isnot known. But Singh must be offering her an alternative formula forenlisting her support.

Even at this late sage, Suresh Kalmadi, a Rajya Sabha MP, was deputed by theBJP to meet Jayalalitha to prevail upon her not to oppose the Government.Kalmadi declined to say what was the purpose of his meeting with Jaya.

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In order to counter the BJP8217;s operation, a Congress team has swung intoaction rather late. There may be a war team in the party but the lack ofcoordination was visible as leaders refused to report to Arjun Singh whothey say has been throwing his weight around.

The Congress is hoping that Kalpnath Rai would be able to split the SamataParty with four MPs. Strangely, Laloo Prasad Yadav is not lending a helpinghand in this job.

But Gowda hopes to split the three-member Lok Shakti. J B Patnaik isreaching Delhi tonight. Whether he has been entrusted with the task ofsplitting the Biju Janata Dal or not could be anybody8217;s guess as hissuccessor, Giridhar Gamang, is unable to do anything beyond casting his ownvote.