The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : MIM, Narendra to vote for UPA Government

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Monday, Jul 21, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

MIM, Narendra to vote for UPA Government

Special Correspondent

Asaduddin Owaisi

HYDERABAD: Putting an end to the suspense over the way they would vote in the floor test in Parliament on July 22, the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and rebel Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) members of the Lok Sabha on Sunday announced their support to the UPA Government.

While the MIM member Asaduddin Owaisi said his party had decided to vote for UPA in spite of its “strongest” reservations about the Indo-US nuclear deal affecting the foreign policy of the country, the rebel TRS member, A. Narendra, said his support to the Government was linked to an assurance that it would concede separate Telangana.

Mr. Narendra told The Hindu over phone from New Delhi on Sunday evening that he was scheduled to meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Though he had almost decided to vote for UPA, he would formally announce his decision after meeting Ms. Gandhi.

‘Party compulsion’

A. Narendra

Mr. Owaisi, the lone MIM member in the Lok Sabha, told a press conference earlier that the party was driven by the compulsion to prevent the BJP from returning to power.

“Our priority is to stop the BJP from coming to power as they will again use Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) against the Muslims.” For MIM, the BJP and the CPI (M) were enemy numbers one and two.

Mr. Narendra’s decision to vote for UPA in defiance of a whip issued by the TRS to the contrary has raised a dust. The rebel MP questioned the authority of Hanamkonda MP B. Vinod Kumar in issuing the whip as the latter had not been administered oath by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. In any case, Mr. Narendra said he would go ahead with his plan despite the whip.

Jogaiah skips lunch

Mr. Vinod Kumar, on the other hand, said he had already issued the whip to Mr. Narendra.

If it was not valid for technical reasons, he would telegram another message to the rebel member after taking oath.

Meanwhile, the State Congress had its share of concern with Narsapur MP, Chegondi Harirama Jogaiah, skipping the lunch hosted by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for party MPs in New Delhi on Sunday.

Mr. Jogaiah had also avoided the meeting of the party MPs with Ms. Sonia Gandhi on Saturday.

But the AP Congress Committee president D. Srinivas, who too is in New Delhi, said there was no problem with Mr. Jogaiah.

This he said after meeting the Narsapur MP, who has of late been openly critical of the State Government, particularly Dr. Reddy.

Naidu active

On the other hand, Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu resumed his role as key player in the Third Front camp hosting a luncheon meeting with UNPA colleagues, CPI (M) and CPI leaders, Prakash Karat and A. B. Bardhan, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. He has even decided to stay back in Delhi till July 23.

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