BJP's ailing MPs may come to party's rescue

New Delhi, Jul 21 (UNI) The BJP's efforts to rope in its ailing members to participate in tomorrow's crucial vote got a fillip when its Bikaner MP Dharmendra reached here today from Los Angeles, where he had gone for knee surgery.

Harishandra Chavan, an MP from Malegoan in Maharashtra who was seriously injured in an accident and has been bedridden for over a month, will be flown in tonight in a plane well-equipped with medical facilties, from Nasik.

The party has sought permission from the Speaker to allow its ailing members to cast their votes from parliament lobby.

BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who has not been keeping well for the past few months will be casting his vote in the parliament lobby, party sources said.

The party also has been making efforts to get MP from Gujarat Mahesh Kanodia, a popular singer, who recently underwent open heart surgery.

D C Srikantappa, who represents the Chikmagalur constituency of Karnataka, had undergone a hip surgery after a fall in his bathroom.

He had informed the party high command that he would not be able to come for tomorrow's voting.

The BJP is likely to lose more Karnataka votes as Manjunath Kunnur, party MP from Dharwar North, had distanced himself from the party during the last Assembly elections and did not attend the BJP and NDA parliamentary meetings last night. The Bellary seat has fallen vacant following Karunakara Reddy's election to the state Assembly. He is now the Revenue Minister in the state.

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