PM meets President, says ready for trust vote

New Delhi, July 10, 2008: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met President Pratibha Patil on Thursday evening, and sought a trust vote in Parliament. He has reportedly told the President that a special session of Parliament would be convened for a floor test on July 17 or 18. The PM-President meeting lasted for 30 minutes.

Since PM believes he has the numbers to ensure the government does not fall. He is willing to face a trust vote before the board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency. He believes his position as far as going to the IAEA has been consistent, as he never ruled out beginning the process with the IAEA.

The government will convene a special session of Parliament for a floor test either on July 17 or 18, said the sources adding the government would withdraw the IAEA and NSG texts if the government fails to win the confidence vote.

The President had on Wednesday night asked Singh to meet her today after the Left parties withdrew support to the Congress-led coalition.

The President may follow the precedence set by one of her predecessors K R Narayanan of not calling for a confidence vote if she is convinced that the UPA government has the requisite number of Parliamentarians.

The Prime Minister also met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee this morning, prior to his audience with the President.

Mukherjee is understood to have briefed Singh on the developments in the wake of government's decision to go ahead on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

Further, the Congress party is believed to have asked its MPs to remain in the country till July 22, which suggests that the government might convene the special Parliament session and seek trust vote before that date.

Singh returned from Japan after the G-8 summit well past midnight Wednesday.

The Left parties had yesterday submitted letters announcing the snapping of ties with the UPA government and also submitted a list of 60 MPs and a joint letter signed by leaders of – CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc – asking the President to direct the Prime Minister to seek a vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha immediately.

Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh and its Parliamentary Party leader Ramgopal Yadav also met the President and gave a fresh letter of support of 39 of its MPs to the government.