INSIDE PARLIAMENT

Soon after voting in favour of the Government defying his party, Telugu Desam Party MP M Jagannath came and sat with Congress member Rahul Gandhi in the treasury benches.

8226; Soon after voting in favour of the Government defying his party, Telugu Desam Party MP M Jagannath came and sat with Congress member Rahul Gandhi in the treasury benches. It became clear before the results were out that Jagannath, who represents Nagarkurnool, had defected to the Government8217;s side. A red-faced TDP leader Yerran Naidu gesticulated at the press gallery that Jagannath had crossed over

8226; While Jagannath crossed over to the UPA side, the TDP had to literally use its muscle to make another MP Audikesavulu vote against the Government.

As the trust vote was on, it became clear to TDP MPs that Audikesavulu was going to vote in favour of the Government and his party colleagues had to make him physically sign the voting slip. Audikesavulu represents Chittoor seat

8226; There was trouble in BJP also. As the voting began, its Bangalore North MP H T Sangliana, a former civil servant, made it clear that he could not vote against the nuclear deal. Party floor managers tried in vain to persuade him and the efforts went on for a good five minutes. He finally voted in favour of the Government

8226; Four ailing BJP members, including former PM A B Vajpayee, took part in the floor test by casting their votes from the Lok Sabha lobby after seeking permission from the Speaker. The others were Bikaner MP Dharmendra, who had been recuperating in Los Angeles after a knee surgery, Malegoan MP Harishandra Chavan, who was rushed in from Nashik in an air-ambulance and popular singer Mahesh Kanodia. Chavan was has been bedridden for over a month after an accident while Kanodia underwent open heart surgery recently.

8226; Taking exception to the CPIM8217;s charge that the UPA was taking recourse to convicted Parliamentarians to win the trust vote, RJD MP Pappu Yadav said, 8220;I have been an MP for five terms. I challenge the Left to come to my constituency and fight elections against me. That will be better than abusing someone8221;

8226; Rebel SP Party MP Atiq Ahmed admitted in the Lok Sabha, 8220;I have not understood what the deal is all about. Though I listened very attentively to the debate throughout on Monday, I could not make any head or tail out of it8221;

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8226; In what is being seen as a move to induct him into politics, the Shiv Sena let Aditya Thackeray 8212; 17-year-old son of its executive president Uddhav Thackeray 8212; take a closer look at the debate in the Lok Sabha.