Manmohan Singh hosts dinner for UPA leaders confident of facing trust vote

New Delhi, July 20 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is hosting a dinner tonight for the leaders of UPA ahead of the trust vote.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. (JMM) Chief .Shibu Soren, National Conference leader Umar Abdullah and leaders of several other parties are likely to attend the dinner.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Parliamentary Party is also meeting this evening to discuss the floor strategy during the debate on the confidence vote. A dinner is also being hosted for MPs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The UPA got a shot in the arm with the announcement of support by the JMM, which has five MPs in the Lok Sabha.

On the other hand the opposition's morale was boosted with Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal and Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) each having three members in the House announcing their decisions to vote against the confidence motion to be moved by the Prime Minister on Monday.

Meanwhile, the rebel Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) members, Dayananidhi Maran and lone member of All India Majlis-E Ittehadul Muslimeel Asaduddin Owaisi have pledged their support to UPA. Trinamool Congress with one MP is likely to abstain from voting. One Shiv Sena MP who did not attend the party meeting on Saturday is reported to be favouring the nuclear deal and may vote with the UPA.

The rebel Samajwadi Party Atiq Ahmad told reporters in the capital that he will take a final decision on the issue after the debate on the nuclear deal.

The CPIM Central Committee meeting was held in the capital on Sunday. Party General Secretary, Prakash Karat said at the end of the meeting that the Central Committee authorised the polit Bureau to take the issue of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee at an appropriate.

The two-day Janata Dal United (JDU) National Executive meeting also concluded on Sunday taking stock of the present political scenario in the country.

ANI