Cong Mps Plan To Seek Withdrawal Of Party Whip

A group of Congress MPs yesterday met and reportedly decided to urge the party to withdraw the whip issued for todays confidence vote in the Lok Sabha and allow a conscience vote to party MPs.

The group, said to number about 20 to 30, owing allegiance to former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot, were understood to be unhappy over the party decision to defeat the Gowda government in the Lok Sabha today.

Among the prominent MPs who particiated in the informal deliberations were Jagannath Mishra, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Datta Meghe, Dilip Singh Bhuria, Sanat Mehta and Mamata Banerjee.

P C Chacko, a strong supporter of Pawar, said some party MPs sincerely felt that voting out the United Front government would be detrimental to the interest of the Congress and could only help the BJP.

Dismissing the possibility of a split in the party on the issue, he said the MPs genuinely felt that what they were saying did not amount to anti-party activity but they were only asking the party leadership to review their decision on withdrawal of support. However, these members would toe the party line even if conscience vote was not allowed.

Chacko said the MPs were of the view that Congress should not go in for a confrontation with the United Front government as it might only help the BJP.