BJP plans dress rehearsal for confidence vote

The idea behind this exercise, the leader said, is two-fold. "Not only will we be able to acsertain the number of MPs who are supporting the government, but, more important, if any member goofs up on his vote, we’ll be able to point out the mistake to him," he said.

According to him, at least half of the MPs are new to Parliament and, hence, not familiar with the procedure. "There is a goodpossibility of mistakes being committed in casting votes. To avoid any embarrassment to the government on this count, the party felt it necessary to impart the requisite training to them," he said. More so when every vote counts.

Unlike last year when former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had sought a vote of confidence, voting machines will not be used this time round. "Even then, there was some difficulty in arriving at the correct figures of votes cast for and against the motion because many MPs simply did not know how to use them properly," another leader pointed out.

The party’s attitude is in sharp contrast to that of the Congress and the United Front, the main opposition formations, which until late this evening were still undecided on their course of action.

The two groups are meeting tomorrow morning before the Lok Sabha session to devise a "common strategy" on the confidence vote. Though for the record, UF leaders insist that they will press for a division when voting takes place, sources saidthe Congress had not shown a similar inclination. The UF hopes that a division will expose the Telugu Desam Party and the National Conference who have declared their intentions of bailing out the government in case of a division. And since any member of the House can demand a division, the UF wants to be prepared for such an eventuality.