Trinamool votes against key bill, govt dials Mamata

Members of the United Progressive Alliance ally Trinamool Congress on Monday voted against a key bill in Lok Sabha that prompted an embarrassed government to immediately take it up with Mamata Banerjee, who promised to look into the matter saying she had not given any such directive.

"I have talked to Mamata Banerjee. She said she has not asked them to vote against the bill. She was not told that they were voting against the bill.  She has said she will look into the matter," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told reporters, hinting that there could have been a "mix-up"

The minister had a telephonic talk with Banerjee after it was clear that members of Trinamool Congress somewhere between four to six in the House then, voted against the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2012 that sought to extend the tenure of the MCI Board of Governors till May 2013 as its current tenure was coming to end on May 14.

The Bill was later passed with 100 votes in favour and 57 against after Biju Janata Dal member Tathagata Satpathy sought a division. The Left and BJD MPs had staged a walkout.

Bansal said the TMC members actually did not intend to vote against the bill but "under some mistake it has been done by them. It was not the intention of any one of them".

Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the House with Bharatiya Janata Party member Maneka Gandhi having heated exchanges with Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad alleging massive corruption in granting licences to medical colleges, a charge strongly refuted by the government.

It is learnt that the members of the Trinamool Congress were not in favour of the bill and some of them had even been telling the media on condition of anonymity that they will be opposing it.

Minister of State for Health and Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyaye was not present in the House, when the government bill was being discussed.

A minister in the government speaking on condition of anonymity, however, said that though TMC members have opposed a number of measures of the government in past also, there is a general acceptance that they will not vote against a bill.

Since the bill has also to come to the Rajya Sabha in the same session, where UPA does not have a majority, a repeat of Monday's actions by the ally could be a huge embarrassment for the government.

Sources said that the government has told Banerjee about its concern. The Trinamool Congress chief is learnt to have assured the government that she will look into it.

Though her party is unlikely to vote in favour of the bill even in Rajya Sabha, the government is of the view that the party can either abstain from voting or stage a walk out when the bill comes in the Upper House, which will not be as embarrassing as its voting against a government bill.

At the All India Congress Committee briefing, party spokesperson Manish Tewari tried to play down the issue saying "what a particular party has responded to in a particular bill can be answered by that party".

Tewari at the same time lambasted the BJP for leveling allegations against the health minister saying "a ball of allegations really adds to nothing. Responsible political parties should also substantiate when they make allegations."

Asked about BJP's statement that it will bring a privilege against the health minister for misleading the House, the Congress spokesperson said "we will wait and see and respond accordingly".