The Hindu : Five independent MPs join NDA

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Sunday, Mar 24, 2002

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Five independent MPs join NDA

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MARCH 23. Five Independent MPs, who have been supporting the National Democratic Alliance from the outside, today joined it.

Led by P.C. Thomas, they had formed a separate group in the Lok Sabha and were functioning under the banner of the Indian Federal Democratic Party (IFDP). The other four members of the group are Anwarul Haq, Pappu Yadav, Mohan Delkar and Sukhdeo Paswan.

Mr. Haq and Mr. Paswan were elected on the Rashtriya Janata Dal ticket but fell out with the RJD chief, Laloo Prasad Yadav, and joined the breakaway group led by Ranjan Prasad Yadav. Inside the Lok Sabha the two teamed up with Mr. Pappu Yadav, a bitter opponent of Mr. Laloo Yadav and began supporting the NDA.

Today's development is bound to bolster the NDA as it prepares to muster support for the controversial Prevention Of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) ahead of the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament scheduled for March 26. The NDA suffered the twin embarrassment of the POTO failing to get the Rajya Sabha's nod and some of its allies, noticeably the National Conference and the Trinamool Congress, abstaining during the voting.

While the NDA managers have persuaded the National Conference, the Trinamool Congress is still determined not to attend the joint session. The five MPs who joined the NDA today indicated that they would support the Government on the POTO. "I am of the view that we need strict laws to deal with the menace of terrorism,'' said Mr. Thomas.

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