UNPA's 8 MPs to vote against UPA in Parliament

The United National Progressive Alliance comprising the Telugu Desam Party, Asom Gana Parishad and Jharkhand Viakas Morcha with eight lawmakers in Lok Sabha will vote against the confidence to be sought by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 22.

"The TDP with five parliamentarians, AGP having two and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha one member will vote against the motion of confidence in the Lok Sabha on July 22," TDP parliamentary party leader K Yerrannaidu told PTI.

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He said the government would find it difficult to win the trust vote by a convincing margin and even if it managed to scrape through, small parties jockeying for plum ministries will be keeping the Manmohan Singh government always on tenterhooks.

The UNPA objected objected to a 'minority government' taking any policy decision before proving its majority in the Lok Sabha.

After Left parties withdrew support to the UPA, the government has been reduced to minority and 'it cannot proceed even one step without taking confidence vote', Yerrannaidu said.

The TDP leader termed as 'unconstitutional' the submission of the safeguards document to the IAEA Board of Governors and said it amounted to 'pure violation' of the assurance given by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the government will go to the international nuclear watchdog only after going to Parliament.

Yerrannaidu, who is in touch with Janata Dal-Secular leader and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh and Left leaders Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan, accused the prime minister of making the nuclear deal a 'personal and prestige issue' ignoring matters of national interest such as inflation, farmers suicide and food-grain shortage.