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March 25, 1998

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TDP 'will abstain during trust vote'

A Special Correspondent

Telugu Desam Party MPs have been sitting on the Treasury benches since Tuesday. Their leader Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi has become the Lok Sabha Speaker with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition's support. But the TDP will still 'abstain from voting' when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government faces the trust vote on Friday.

Disclosing that there was no question of the TDP joining the saffron coalition, party general secretary Lal Jan Basha says the Speaker's election should be considered above 'party considerations'.

Asked if his party was not supporting the BJP by abstaining from voting during the trust vote, Basha said his party has taken the decision in the interest of 'political stability and continuity'. He said the TDP was playing a 'historic role' to 'ensure stability.'

Asked why the TDP was backing the 'communal' BJP, Basha said, ''As a party founded on anti-Congressism, we cannot support a Congress-led coalition. What is the alternative? None of the MPs are interested in going in for another election.''

Elections '98

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