National

We’ve the numbers, says Vayalar Ravi

NEW DELHI: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi on Friday said the United Progressive Alliance government had the numbers if the Left parties carried out their threat to withdraw support and the BJP sought a vote of confidence.

“The government has the numbers. We are ready to prove it in the Lok Sabha whenever we are called upon to do so,” he told journalists at the Congress headquarters here.

Asked when the monsoon session of Parliament would be convened, he said it would be decided in a day or two.

Separately, while expressing the confidence that the government had the numbers to prove its majority, AICC Media Department Chairman M. Veerappa Moily said it was a “hypothetical” situation as the Congress-led UPA government still had the support of the Left parties.

On Samajwadi Party’s support to the government, Mr. Moily said, “the support from the Samajwadi Party is not a new phenomenon. They have been supporting the UPA from outside.” According to him, although the SP had publicly declared withdrawal of support, it had not given a letter of withdrawal to the President for the decision to be formal.

He thanked the SP leaders for their support saying it was “timely.”

On whether the SP would join the government, Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed earlier said it was for the Prime Minister, the UPA, and the Samajwadi Party to decide.

He, however, added that convergence on one issue did not mean there was convergence on all views.

“On some issues our views are different from those of the Samajwadi Party, such as on inflation and the petrol price hike.”

He said the nuclear deal was for “energy security.” It would be wrong to link it with any religion.

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