MDMK issues whip to vote against UPA

With two dissident MPs likely to take a different line, MDMK today decided to issue a whip to its four MPs to vote against the government in the trust vote on July 22.

MDMK leader Vaiko told reporters here that he has authorised party MP C Krishnan to issue a three line whip to other members A Ravichandran and dissident members L Ganesan and Gingee N Ramachandran to go by the party directive.

He said according to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, the directive given by a political party has to be carried out by the members elected on the party ticket and defiance would attract disqualification. Even abstention from voting against the party directive could also lead to disqualification, he said.

In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Vaiko said the Election Commission had recently declared that the group led by him as the real MDMK and accordingly he was issuing the directive to the members to vote as per the party line.

Asked as to what the party would do if the two rebel members went against the directive, he said, "Why should I jump to any conclusion. After the voting we will see."

The MDMK leader said he believed that the UPA government had already lost the confidence of the people. "My assessment of the government is that it will be defeated", he said.

Taking a dig at the government, he said efforts like offering ministerial berths and naming an airport to woo support would only lower the image of Parliament and credibility of the government.

"Such manoeuvring will not enhance the prestige of Parliament," he said.