Finance News

Number crunch: SP cracks, Gowda mum, UPA sweats

The UPA's search for the elusive magic numbers suffered further jolt on Saturday with its new-found ally Samajwadi Party heading for a split and the JD(S) still non-committal on its support. A rejuvenated BSP-UNPA-Left camp, in the meantime, decided to intensify lobbying among the smaller parties, with BSP supremo Mayawati and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu personally managing the power play sitting here in the Capital.

A lunch meeting, to be hosted by Naidu on Sunday, will see the Left-UNPA and the BSP finalising their strategy for the debate on the confidence motion to be moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Naidu held a series of meetings with the Opposition leaders, including Mayawati, Prakash Karat, AB Bardhan and

HD Deve Gowda, placing himself as the main deal-maker.

Meanwhile, making things difficult for ruling combine, prominent Muslim figure in the SP and Rajya Sabha member Shahid Siddiqui quit party to join the BSP. Accompanied by Mayawati, Siddiqui, also a general secretary of the SP, told reporters: "For the last one month, I have been feeling uneasy over the nuclear deal. I am of the opinion that it is not in national interest. I have been opposing it for the last three years."

Another SP Lok Sabha MP also joined the rebel chorus on Sunday. "I am against the nuclear deal. I will vote against the confidence motion," MP from Jaleshwar SP Baghel told reporters here. He is the fourth Lok Sabha MP from the SP to come out in public against the party stand. "More will join us tomorrow (Sunday)," a senior BSP leader added.

Meanwhile, sources close to Gowda said he told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a meeting on Saturday evening that the JD(S) was not in a position to vote for the government. After the meeting with Singh, Gowda met CPI leaders AB Bardhan and D Raja over a dinner and reportedly said his party, which has three MPs in the lower House, will vote against the government.