NEW DELHI: Speaking a day after the
trust vote, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani said that cross-votings
and abstentions helped the UPA government win the trust vote in Lok Sabha. (
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)
The
BJP leader also demanded that Speaker Somanth Chatterjee should investigate the
cash-for-votes scam immediately.
Advani termed the UPA victory as
tainted and said that cash-for-votes scandal was like Bofors scam of
1989.
Meanwhile, acting tough, the BJP on Wednesday expelled all
eight party MPs who cross-voted or abstained during the confidence motion in Lok
Sabha. (
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)
The party also decided to
launch a nationwide agitation against UPA on "corruption and degradation" of
democratic values of the country.
BJP said the party cannot brook
indiscipline in its ranks and decided to take extreme action against those MPs
who violated the whip issued by the party to vote against the UPA government in
the confidence motion.
"We were shocked that a number of MPs voted
against the party directive," a senior leader, on condition of anonymity,
said.
The sources also refuted allegations raised by BSP chief
Mayawati that the NDA helped the government to sail through because they were
opposed to a Dalit woman becoming Prime Minister.
Massive cross
voting and abstentions from the Opposition, especially the NDA, helped the UPA
score a comfortable victory in the confidence vote last night, belying all
predictions of a close contest.
Main opposition BJP was the worst
sufferer with six of its MPs voting in favour of the motion moved by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
Sombhai Patel, Babubhai Katara and
Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were among the BJP MPs who voted in favour of the
government, while Haribhau Rathod was among the party MPs who
abstained.
Three BJP MPs, who were having tea in the Parliament House
canteen, did not go to the House to cast their votes when the division bell rang
in Parliament House.