UPA fine-tunes its strategy for trust vote

CONFIDENT: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee says UPA has the numbers to win a trust vote.

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New Delhi: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) leaders met on Friday in New Delhi to decide on their strategy for the Vote of Confidence after the Left withdrew its support on the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal.

After the meeting held at the residence of the Prime Minister Congress President Sonia Gandhi addressed the media and said that the UPA regrets that Left has withdrawn support.

"It is time to look ahead. Samajwadi Party has offered to support to us. We welcome this and thank them for it. Before the Left withdrew their support, the Prime Minister had said that he would not operationalise the agreement without taking Parliament into confidence. We stand by that position," Sonia said.

She also added that the UPA Government would seek a trust vote as early as possible and a special session of the Lok Sabha will be convened soon for the same.

"I have no doubt that we shall prove our majority and work to fulfill our remaining agenda," Sonia added.

Sources told CNN-IBN that the Vote of Confidence is likely on July 21 and 22.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad said that Sonia appreciated the contribution of Left parties as without them the Government could not have been formed.

"Soni thanked the Left for its support. Without the Left a UPA government would not have been possible. We will now go for a Vote of Confidence. If we lose the Vote of Confidence, then the Indo-US nuclear deal will end. If we win, the deal will continue, " Lalu said.

External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee confirmed that the coalition agreed that it must part with the Left, and it will now decide the date for the trust vote.

"Everybody agreed on parting ways with the Left. It is sad but sometimes in politics it happens. There is no bitterness among us. Everybody is prepared to face Vote of Confidence in the Lok Sabha. The date for the confidence vote will be decide in the meeting tonight and then it will be communicated to the President," Mukherjee said.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia, Lalu Prasad, Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil, Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam's TR Baalu, Nationalist Congress Party's Praful Patel, Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemlal Murmu.

The Congress Working Committee, too, would meet later on Friday evening to finalise the date and the political strategy for the trust vote.

The CWC could also discuss the possibility of a tie-up with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh.

The question of seeking the support of so far ''undecided'' parties such as the Trinamool Congress, the TRS as well as Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal could also be on the agenda.