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NDA has the numbers to pass Lok
Sabha test

The National Democratic Alliance on Monday expressed optimism about being able to comfortably to defeat the opposition-sponsored censure motion on Gujarat in the Lok Sabha.

The motion will be taken up for discussion on Tuesday.

The crisis managers of the Vajpayee government led by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan claimed that even if the Telugu Desam Party did not vote in favour of the government, the NDA would not be adversely affected.

They have gone to the extent of ensuring that the government would not lose the vote even if the Bahujan Samaj Party plays truant and votes against the NDA.

The break up is as follows:
BJP - 182,
Samata Party - 12,
DMK - 12,
PMK - 5,
MDMK - 4, AIADMK (MGR) - 1,
Shiv Sena 15,
Biju Janata Dal - 10,
Trinamool Congress - 9,
Indian National Lok Dal - 5,
Janata Dal (United) - 6,
Loktantrik Congress - 2,
Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) - 2, the Rashtriya Lok Dal - 2,
Sikkim Democratic Front - 1, Shakti Dal (Maneka Gandhi's party) - 1, Independents - 2,
breakaway faction of the Rashtriya Janata Dal - 3,
Indian Federal Democratic Party - 3.

This adds up to 283 MPs.

Were the BSP to support the government, the figure increases to 295.

If the TDP, with its 28 MPs also throws in its lot with the government, the figure would go up to 323.

The strength of the opposition:
Congress - 112,
Rashtriya Janata Dal - 4,
Communist Party of India (Marxist) - 33,
Samajwadi Party - 26,
Indian Union Muslim League - 2,
Communist Party of India - 3,
Revolutionary Socialist Party - 3,
Forward Bloc - 2,
Nationalist Congress Party - 8,
Janata Dal (Secular) - 2,
MLKSC - 2,
Peasants and Workers Party - 1,
MIM - 1,
BBM (Prakash Ambedkar) - 1,
Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) - 1,
SAD (Mann) - 1,
Samajwadi Janata Party (Chandrashekhar) - 1 and Independents - 4.

The total does not exceed 225 MPs.

The AIADMK (12 MPs) and the National Conference (4 MPs) have announced that they will abstain during the vote.

A senior BJP leader said that the party leadership was in constant touch with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu who had indicated that the party's position on the censure motion would be known after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke on the developments in Gujarat on the floor of the House.

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