NDA rolls out ‘topple Govt’ plan

The NDA will use the July 22 trust vote to pin the UPA Government on a range of issues like “governance-deficit...

The NDA will use the July 22 trust vote to pin the UPA Government on a range of issues like “governance-deficit”, “national drift” and “discrimination against NDA governments”, apart from the nuclear deal. With nervousness palpable in sections of the UPA Government after the Left stepped up its anti-nuclear deal campaign, the BJP-led alliance met here to put in place a plan “to topple the Government”.

“There’s a complete failure of leadership in Government. The sooner this Government goes, the better it is for us,” said party general secretary Arun Jaitley, after a meeting of NDA chief ministers and senior leaders at prime ministerial candidate L K Advani’s residence. “Rising prices and internal security are the prominent issues in addition to the nuclear deal.”

A couple of days ago, when the numbers game was seen to be favouring the UPA, the BJP-led alliance had kept its opposition low-key. With the trust vote threatening to become a touch-and-go affair, the saffron party does not want to appear losing the initiative to the Left, a reason that explains the sudden spring in its strides.

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“The country is exasperated with the UPA. We regret that the office of the Prime Minister and the continuation of this Government is being reduced to a bargaining counter,” said Jaitley.

In the event of the Government falling during the trust vote, the BJP will, however, not attempt to form an alternative government. “We will go back to the people,” said Venkaiah Naidu earlier at the party headquarters.

Asked if NDA had the numbers, Jaitley said, “NDA will harness all its strength in the Lok Sabha…Parties other than NDA are also voting against the Government. There are many parties which are our adversaries and are voting against the UPA.” He said the UPA appeared to be losing its confidence as the vote of confidence drew near.