While the SP Parliamentary Party on Friday issued a three-line whip to its MPs to be present in the Lok Sabha on July 21 and 22 and vote in favour of the Government, three of its MPs were set not to toe the party line. Not sure of one of its two jailed MPs, the party was banking on its effective strength of 35 — out of 39 MPs.

As the Congress camp, too, took these numbers for granted, invitations were sent to the SP MPs for the July 20 dinner being hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the eve of the special session of the Lok Sabha.

At the SP meeting, however, as many as 10 MPs — Beni Prasad Verma, Raj Babbar, Atiq Ahmed, Afzal Ansari, Saleem Sherwani, Usha Verma, S Bangarappa, Jaiprakash, Rajnarain Budhaulia and Munawwar Hasan — were absent.

Party leaders played it down and claimed that only three MPs — Munawwar Hasan, Jaiprakash and Rajnarain Budhaulia — were likely to defy the party whip during the trust motion. “We do not bother about these people going away,” said SP general secretary Amar Singh after the meeting.

The SP leaders said though Beni Prasad Verma and Raj Babbar were suspended from the party, they would be voting for the Government. Saleem Sherwani and Usha Verma could not attend the meeting due to personal reasons. While Atiq Ahmed and Afzal Ansari were in jail, S Bangarappa was on his way but could not make it to the meet, they added.

... contd.