Narain claims division of opinion on the nuclear deal

Lucknow, Jul 10 (UNI) Dissident Samajwadi Party MP Raj Narain Budolia tonight claimed that there was a division of opinion in the party's MPs meeting held at New Delhi on July 8 over the support to the UPA government on the nuclear deal.

Addressing a press conference here tonight, Mr Budolia, said that several MPs had openly opposed the party's stand on the deal in the meeting but the leadership did not bent on their plea.

''It was a clear cut indication of the SP leaders that they want to protect the interest of industrialists like Anil Ambani by supporting this deal rather than supporting the ideology of the party'', he said.

The rebel MP also announced to violate the whip of the party and would vote against the UPA government.

''The SP's decision to support the nuke deal was anti-party as well as anti-national and was done to gain personal interest'', he further claimed.

After Munnawar Hassan and Jaiprakash Rawat, now Rajnarain Budolia, MP from Hamirpur in Bundelkhand region has raised voice against the party leadership.

Earlier Mr Budolia talking to newspersons in Hamirpur had said he was against the nuclear deal and was opposed to any decision of the SP leadership to support the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government over the issue.

''We have not been taken into confidence before the decision as only a handful of party leaders are involved in the matter,'' he alleged.

Mr Budolia also claimed that more than 12 MPs were not supporting the nuclear deal and they may violate the party whip.

Earlier, there are reports of more than a dozen SP MPs appear set to create problems for party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav even as two MPs have openly revolted against the party's decision to support the UPA government on the Nuclear deal.

Though these MPs have not said a word about Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati, the statement read by the rebels seems to be ''influenced'' by the BSP government.

According to Samajwadi Party sources, Mr Budolia was annoyed as his ticket by the party for the coming Lok Sabha poll was doubtful after Ashok Chandel was the probable SP candidate from Hamirpur seat. On Tuesday, four-time MP Jaiparaksh had come out openly against the SP leadership and announced to wage a ''democratic'' protest within the party.

(Eds; Pick up suitably from earlier takes) UNI MB LS BD2133