Government has support of more than 291 MPs: Rashtriya Janata Dal
21 Jul 2008, 1332 Hrs

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New Delhi, July 21 (ANI): The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) today claimed that the government has the support of more than 291 MPs to win tomorrow's trust vote in te Lok Sabha.

Saying that the government will win the trust vote, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said, "Our number is continuously growing. It has now exceeded the 291 mark. There is going to be a great victory for us."

"Our trust vote is the trust of the country. The people are in favour of nuclear power," he told media persons outside Parliament.

Defending the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said that in today's world people were getting land registered on the moon, and India, which was isolated earlier, can now get the recognition it needed.

The Government's tally stood at 266 pledged votes while 265 were ranged against it. Arithmetically, the government will need the support of 271 MPs, but this figure could be reduced if some MPs from the opposition camp abstain as is widely speculated.

The Opposition's morale was boosted with Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal and Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) each having three members in the House announcing their decisions to vote against the confidence motion to be moved by the Prime Minister.

The rebel Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) members, Dayananidhi Maran and lone member of All-India Majlis-E Ittehadul Muslimeel Asaduddin Owaisi have pledged their support to UPA.

Trinamool Congress with one MP is likely to abstain from voting. One Shiv Sena MP is reported to be favouring the nuclear deal and may vote with the UPA. (ANI)