Adding pressure on the UPA government in the nerve-wracking numbers game, the BJP on Friday said it "expects" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to take support of ruling Alliance MPs "convicted of murder charges" during the trust vote in Parliament.
"We expect Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to take support of the MPs who have been convicted of murder charges," party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters.
There are three MPs, all from Bihar, who have been tried and convicted but their sentences have not been stayed by any court. Suraj Bhan (LJP), Syed Shahabuddin(RJD) and Pappu Yadav (RJD-backed Independent) are serving sentences in various jails.
"We at least expect that this government will not try to get majority by getting support of MPs who are convicted on murder charges and are in jails," he said adding, the Representation of People's Act debars a person convicted for more than two years from voting in Parliament.
Asked about BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu who was involved in a murder case, Prasad said in his case the Supreme Court had said that "the sentence will not operate on his eligibility to contest or represent".