SP parades MPs before the media


Amid reports of desertions, Samajwadi Party tonight paraded its MPs before the media and announced ticket to a Lok Sabha MP from BJP, who joined the party ahead of the July 22 confidence vote.
Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh presented the Lok Sabha MPs at a press conference, the second during the day, but declined to identify them before the media or divulge the exact strength.

"If the mediapersons do not recognise my MPs, it is a matter of shame for me," he said.

On the suggestion for identification parade, Singh said that the journalists were neither their teacher nor were the MPs their students, that a roll call will be held.

He said the party had quite a few "closed envelopes" which would be opened on July 22.

However, three MPs who did not attend SP's parliamentary meeting on Friday -- S Bangarappa, Salim Sherwani and Usha Verma -- turned up at the hurriedly convened press conference where Singh spewed more venom at BSP supremo Mayawati, describing her "alliance" with BJP, Left parties and UNPA as opportunistic.

He alleged that while CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat had ego problem, senior BJP leader L K Advani was in a hurry to become Prime Minister, and Mayawati was scared of CBI probes.

BJP MP Braj Bhushan Sharan Singh said that he was with BJP since 1989 but his conscience drove him to come out of the party as it was opposing the nuclear deal, which he said, was good for the country.

"I was in favour of the agreement and therefore I switched over to Samajwadi Party," he said.

Earlier Amar Singh said that SP would give him SP ticket for the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh.