Preparing for the confidence vote in Parliament on July 22, top United Progressive Alliance leaders on Friday held a strategy session in Delhi with alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressing her confidence of proving their majority in the Lok Sabha.
The meeting, which was attended by representatives of most of the UPA's constituents, assessed the numbers that the ruling coalition has on its side after the exit of 59 Left front members, whose dissociation was regretted by Gandhi.
With the government seeking a trust vote on July 22, Gandhi said it was time for the UPA "to look ahead" and praised the Samajwadi Party for supporting the coalition.
"I have no doubt that we shall prove our majority," Gandhi said in her opening remarks at a meeting of the UPA coordination committee where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh explained the developments related to the nuclear deal.
A highlight of the meeting was the presence of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha member Hemlal Murmu amid speculation that the five-member strong Jharkhand outfit was unhappy with the Congress after its supremo Shibu Soren was not re-inducted into the Union Cabinet.
Lok Janashakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan was not present at the meeting as he is away in London.
Also absent was All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi, who was attending to some family matters in Hyderabad.
Gandhi thanked the Left parties "who have been with us during these last four years" and said without their support the UPA could not have been formed and "a good deal" of what has been "achieved" would not have been possible.
"Unfortunately, we could not carry them with us on the nuclear agreement despite our best efforts. While we regret their withdrawal of support, it is now time to look ahead," Gandhi said.
