Seemandhra Cong MPs canvas support for no-trust move

Congress MPs from Seemandhra on Tuesday claimed to be mobilising more support for their no confidence motion against the “unpopular” United Progressive Alliance government in Parliament, even as Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde hinted that party could take action against them for indiscipline.

“We got some MPs supporting us both from Andhra Pradesh and other states. We are still working on the numbers,” Congress’ MP from Vijayawada Lagadapati Rajagopal said.

Rajagopal said talks were on with “other Seemandhra MPs” to muster support for the no-confidence motion against “an unpopular government” at the centre.

He is one of the six MPs who signed the notice to move a no-confidence motion against the UPA government led by their own party in a bid to thwart the tabling of Telangana Bill in Parliament.
“If somebody is not supporting it (no-confidence motion), it reflects on them also. We will see how many more are going to come,” The Congress leader said. The home minister hinted that Congress could take action against Seemandhra MPs, who gave a notice for a no-confidence motion against the UPA government.

“They (MPs) are from a disciplined force. If there is any indiscipline, the party will take care of that,” Shinde told reporters when asked whether the Congress was going to initiate any action against the Seemandhra MPs for giving notice for a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha against the government over the move to create Telangana.

Shinde, however, did not clarify what action could be taken against these MPs.

The government got a temporary relief as a no-confidence motion by six Congress and four TDP lawmakers against the creation of a separate Telangana state could not be taken up in the Lok Sabha due to chaos in the House on various issues.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar attempted to take up the motion in the second half of the day but adjourned the House for the day following ruckus by the agitating members from different parties on various issues.

Treasury benches created pandemonium in the House as Kumar said she had received notices for a no-confidence motion.

Pro-Telangana leaders of Congress, however, sought to downplay the claims made by Seemandhra MPs, saying no other political party would support the motion brought by them.

They described the Seemandhra MP’s move as “unethical” and “aimed at” stopping the process to carve out a separate Telangana state.

“We have spoken to all other parties and they are opposing the no-confidence motion,” Congress MP from Karimnagar Ponnam Prabhakar claimed.

Shinde indicated that the UPA government may not shy away from tabling the Telangana Bill in Parliament without the approval of Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

He said the proposal to carve out a separate state of Telangana was part of the Congress party's manifesto in 2004 and there was an announcement in this regard in 2009 too.

“The whole of Andhra Pradesh knew what was going to happen,” he said.