Ahead of the crucial floor test on Monday, the ruling Congress upped the ante on Thursday appealing legislators to vote “according to their conscience”,
SRINAGAR: Ahead of the crucial floor test on Monday, the ruling Congress upped the ante on Thursday appealing legislators to vote “according to their conscience”, even as ally-turned-adversary the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) accused the chief minister of “horse-trading” to save government.
“We request the honourable MLAs to vote as per their conscience taking into consideration the “giant step” taken by chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to save Jammu and Kashmir from chaos,” senior vice-president of the state Congress and social welfare minister Abdul Gani Vakil said.
The appeal apparently was directed at PDP MLAs, many of whom have raised a banner of revolt against the party leadership for withdrawing support to the Azad government.
PDP is already facing a crisis after it expelled and suspended two MLAs. The party is now left with only 17 legislators, including two independents, who joined it recently.
The PDP leadership is trying hard to keep the flock together to bring down the government. Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s absence - he is currently abroad – has compounded their woes.
“Azad is set to slaughter democracy on July 7. Reports are he is trying to poach legislators from other parties to make the numbers for the floor test,” a PDP spokesman said.
“Moneybags are being gifted to MLAs to shift loyalties.”
Azad needs 44 votes in the 87-member House to stay afloat. Congress has 22 legislators and the support of eight independents. The party has also roped in another four independents and is banking on the support of two CPI(M) members, another five independents and the lone PDF legislator.
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