Trust Vote Impact: Rebel MPs come under Fire

While the whole world knows what "motivated" the MPs to defy party whip and vote in favour of the government, they talk about their conscience call. After the BJD expelled its member Harihar Swain from the party, the TDP expelled two of its MPs who voted for the UPA. BJP took the drastic step of expelling 8 MPs from the party. Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who defied the party and did not resign from his post, was expelled from the CPM.

A day after, Shiv Sena expelled rebel MP Tukaram Renge Patil from the party. Shiromani Akali Dal expelled Sukhdev Singh Libra, who abstained from voting, defying party whip. Vaiko's MDMK expelled L Ganesan and Gengee N Ramachandran and asked the Speaker to disqualify them from Lok Sabha. JD(U) too expelled Ram Swarop Prasad for voting in favour of UPA and P P Koya for remaining absent during the trust vote.

With the exception of LS Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who was expelled for wrong reasons, 17 MPs have been expelled so far for supporting the UPA government, defying party whips. It exposed the government before the public and strengthened the belief that UPA government indulged in undemocratic activities to win the support of 17 MPs. The number itself says everything.

Meanwhile, the BJP MP Chandrabhan Singh, whose house was attacked by BJP youth activists after he voted for the UPA government, has filed an FIR against BJP leaders L K Advani, Rajnath Singh and Shivraj Chauhan. He alleged that BJP leadership is trying to eliminate him and other rebel MPs.