The Hindu : National : Congress celebrates before manual counting

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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
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Congress celebrates before manual counting

Special Correspondent

Jubilation also at the 10 Janpath residence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi

House members greet Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi
It is a vote for nuclear agreement, says Digvijay Singh

NEW DELHI: Once the electronic voting system showed the ‘Ayes’ to be 253 against 232 ‘Noes’ with two abstentions in the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the Congress members started cheering and congratulating each other.

There was jubilation at 10 Janpath, the residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi even before the manual counting was done. (The result after the manual count subsequently was 275 votes in favour of the government and 256 against it.)

Even before the manual counting was done, there was jubilation also at the 10 Janpath residence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

In the House, several members walked up to Ms. Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to congratulate them. Among them was Somabhai Patel, who had defected from the BJP and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah who had minutes ago hit out at the BJP.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi also walked up to Ms. Gandhi and spoke to her.

Later, Mr. Gandhi told journalists that he had said earlier too that “what is right for India” was important, not whether the UPA won or lost.

Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Digvijay Singh said it was a vote for the nuclear agreement.

“The Opposition and the communal forces have been defeated and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh now have more confidence to fulfil the National Common Minimum Programme.”

Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar said the UPA was grateful for the support of various political parties in the trust vote. “It is because of them that India can move forward in the area of technology.”

He said he was “sad” about money being shown in the House (by BJP members), which brought disrepute to Parliamentarians and Parliament.

“If there was any complaint, they should have gone to a police station.”

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