Vajpayee annoyed about absence of Shiv Sena and Trinamool MPs

New Delhi, July 17 (UNI) Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today expressed his annoyance about the absence of two of the NDA partners at the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting and said that the role of the NDA was very important at a time when dark clouds were seen around the democratic horizons.

Addressing the NDA MPs Mr Vajpayee did not hide his anger about the absence of Shiv Sena and Trinamool Congress MPs from the meeting at a time when the national challenge was looming large. NDA sources said that Mr Vajpayee wanted the NDA to be a strong entity getting all requisite support from its partners.

The Shiv Sena has promised its support to the UPA nominee on the ground that Pratibha Patil is a Maharashtrian leader while Trinamool Congress has taken an ambivalent stand on its support to NDA backed Independent candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhwat.

However NDA spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said that the Trinamool Congress had assured to support Mr Shekhwat but their MPs and MLAs would cast their votes at Kolkata on July 19.

Mr Vajpayee noted that many of the MPs who are not seen on normal meetings were present at the NDA meeting and this was a good sign that the parliamentarians had taken the Presidential elections seriously.

UNI