PM knocks JD(S) door for trust vote

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With just three days to got before the crucial vote of confidence, both the government and the Opposition camps have intensified efforts to get their numbers right. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself joined the huddle by calling former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and requested him to vote for the government. On the other side, the Left and the BJP appeared confident that the government will fall as ‘‘even the Congress members are going out.’’

Earlier on the day, Singh called up Gowda and sought his party’s help in the vote of confidence. Later, talking to reporters at Bangalore, Gowda said he would meet the Prime Minister on Saturday. ‘‘The Prime Minister spoke to me this morning. I will be meeting him tomorrow (Saturday) in Delhi,’’ he said.

The JD(S) has three MPs in Lok Sabha. Parliamentary party leader of the JD(S) Veerendra Kumar, who had defected from the Gowda camp, had made it clear that he will vote against the nuclear deal and the UPA. When asked about this, Gowda said that all issues with Kumar would be settled soon.

‘‘Any decision on supporting the UPA government during the upcoming trust vote in the Lok Sabha will be taken keeping in mind the interest of JD(S) and to strengthen it,’’ Gowda said adding that ultimately any decision on the matter will be based on strengthening the party. Gowda is also a member of the present Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, the UPA ally JMM kept the cards close to its chest. JMM leader Shibu Soren will meet CPI general secretary AB Bardhan on Saturday. ‘‘We are reaching out to all parties, except the BJP, on the nuclear deal and the trust vote,’’ Bardhan told FE. However, in a consolation to the UPA, JMM’s chief whip Teklal Mahto said the party’s five MPs will vote for government.

In the meantime, the SP, which has offered support to the UPA, held its parliamentary party meeting on Friday. About 10 of its MPs could not turn up for the function. Playing down their absence, SP general secretary Amar Singh said the SP has issued a three-line whip asking its members to be present in the Lok Sabha on July 21 and 22 and vote for the government.