Hyderabad, December 04: The Congress party’s confidence that it had sufficient numbers to defeat the no confidence motion in the Assembly looked slightly suspect on Saturday following arm-twisting by some of its own MLAs and open threats by others to bring down the government.
Its earlier belief that it would breeze through was based on the support of 17 Praja Rajyam MLAs it had taken for granted, besides the backing of its all-weather ally, the seven-member MIM. This was sufficient to take on the Opposition, comprising the TDP, TRS, CPI, BJP, CPI (M), Lok Satta, YSR Congress and an independent, which has closed ranks and declared that it wanted the government out.
What changed the scenario suddenly was the aggressive stand taken by the PR MLAs whose merger with the Congress is incomplete in the Legislature.
They are seated in a separate block in the Assembly pending disposal of a petition filed by one of them, Shobha Nagi Reddy, challenging the merger.
After complaining to their leader K. Chiranjeevi about the shabby treatment given to them by the Congress, the MLAs wanted their pound of flesh before voting against the no confidence motion tabled by the Telugu Desam Party and others.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy deputed two Ministers — Anam Ramnarayan Reddy and Vatti Vasant Kumar — to woo them back to the party fold.
At about the same time, the Congress received another jolt when 22 of its MLAs flocked to the Lotus Pond residence of YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and declared that they would support the TDP’s no confidence motion when it comes up for voting on Monday.
These MLAs have, however, been swinging back and forth like a pendulum during the past two weeks, torn as they are between their allegiance to the Kadapa MP and the fear of getting disqualified from the Assembly if they cross-vote. Thus, the Congress leaders feel, there is nothing sanctimonious about their turnout at Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy’s meeting. Before the day was over, one MLA was back in the Congress camp.
The no confidence motion, as always, will boil down to a game of numbers. The effective strength of the 294-member Assembly is now 287 following the resignation of six MLAs and the death of one. The Congress has to muster the support of at least 144 members to defeat the no confidence motion.
On paper, the Congress has 153 MLAs and is supposed to be enjoying the support of 18 Praja Rajyam and seven MIM MLAs. The reality is, however, different considering the Jagan and the Praja Rajyam factors. The Congress is expecting that in the event of pro-Jagan MLAs voting against it, the government will still garner the support of well over 150 members (table in Page 4).
In a move to force its MLAs to fall in line, the Congress issued a whip to its members, while the TDP and PR would issue a whip on Sunday.
–Agencies