The threat of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee bringing a no-confidence motion during the winter session of parliament has spurred floor management activity with the UPA. Prime minister Manmohan Singh, for the first time, is talking directly to the possible allies of UPA.
Ahead of the winter session, which begins on 22 November, the prime minister has begun lunch and dinner diplomacy. On Friday, if it was the turn of Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his chief minister son Akhilesh Yadav, on Sunday it was SP’s arch rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati who was invited to break bread with the prime minister.
The prime minister’s initiative to garner support and give importance to parties who are not part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is being viewed in light of the plans of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to bring a no confidence motion against the government. The West Bengal chief minister had been vocal about bringing the no confidence motion against the government since she withdrew her support after the government went ahead with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail.
The BSP chief after the meeting with the prime minister remained ambiguous whether she would support the no confidence motion being brought by Mamata Banerjee. ‘I have spoken about this in detail in our party rally in Lucknow on 9 October. We will take whatever steps necessary keeping in mind what we had said in that rally,’ said Mayawati. She added her party members have authorised her to take a final decision on supporting the UPA, ‘Whenever such a situation comes up, you ask us this question but why do you want our response in advance,’ said the BSP supremo, indicating she will reveal her cards only in the final days.
Samajwadi Party though has also not made clear its stand on whether it would continue to offer outside support to the government or not, though the party had criticised the move of bringing FDI in retail and said that since it harms the interests of the farmers, it would not support FDI in retail.
Ahead of the winter session, which begins on 22 November, the prime minister has begun lunch and dinner diplomacy. On Friday, if it was the turn of Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his chief minister son Akhilesh Yadav, on Sunday it was SP’s arch rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati who was invited to break bread with the prime minister.
The prime minister’s initiative to garner support and give importance to parties who are not part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is being viewed in light of the plans of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to bring a no confidence motion against the government. The West Bengal chief minister had been vocal about bringing the no confidence motion against the government since she withdrew her support after the government went ahead with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail.
The BSP chief after the meeting with the prime minister remained ambiguous whether she would support the no confidence motion being brought by Mamata Banerjee. ‘I have spoken about this in detail in our party rally in Lucknow on 9 October. We will take whatever steps necessary keeping in mind what we had said in that rally,’ said Mayawati. She added her party members have authorised her to take a final decision on supporting the UPA, ‘Whenever such a situation comes up, you ask us this question but why do you want our response in advance,’ said the BSP supremo, indicating she will reveal her cards only in the final days.
Samajwadi Party though has also not made clear its stand on whether it would continue to offer outside support to the government or not, though the party had criticised the move of bringing FDI in retail and said that since it harms the interests of the farmers, it would not support FDI in retail.