Cong undeterred by JD (S), RLD decision: Moily

New Delhi, Jul 20 (UNI) Unfazed by the decision of the Janata Dal (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) to vote against the UPA government in the Lok Sabha on July 22, the Congress today asserted that the government was not short of numbers to survive the trust vote.

''These two parties were neither the UPA partners nor a supporting group,'' AICC General Secretary Veerappa Moily told UNI pointing out that ''it would have been a bonus, had they voted with the government.'' ''We are in a comfort zone,'' he said, when his attention was drawn towards reports that the government was short of 10 votes to sail through the trust motion.

Saying that the trust vote was a ''Dharma Yuddh'' for the UPA, he said the ruling coalition and its supporting parties like the Samajwadi Party were fighting for the righteous cause of secularism, inclusive democracy and the nuclear deal which would usher in agricultural and industrial revolution.

On the other hand, the line up on the opposite side was nothing, but ''expedient alliance'' which could collapse any time, Mr Moily said.

Referring to the projection of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the event of the government fall, he said ''the Left is misusing Mayawati. It is only a conspiracy to cut short her political career by sowing the seed of such an ambition.'' Coming down heavily on Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu for donning the mantle of 'kingmaker', Mr Moily said he would join any opportunistic bandwagon.

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