Lalu, Mulayam rule out no-trust motion for now

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and JD (U) chief Sharad Yadav after a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over Women's Bill. Mr. Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav have ruled out plans for a no-trust vote.

Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad, the two strong opponents of the Women’s Bill, on Wednesday said they were “as of now” not considering the issue of bringing a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, saying they did not have the numbers for it.

“Nothing as of now, we need to decide it among ourselves first and then only we can bring it (a no-confidence motion). We don’t have enough MPs of our own,” Mr. Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party has 21 members in the Lok Sabha, said.

On whether he was planning to carry out his threat to withdraw outside support to the UPA, the SP supremo said, “There is no question of meeting the President now.” He did not elaborate.

On the issue of no-trust motion, Mr. Prasad, whose RJD has four members in the Lok Sabha, said, “There is no such decision. It is wrong information.

“We have only four MPs and, therefore, where is the question of no-confidence motion?” he asked.

He, however, said that his party has sought a meeting with President Pratibha Patil but has not been allotted time as yet.