Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) The Congress Wednesday said it will seek an explanation from party MPs who were absent without prior information during the voting Tuesday night in Lok Sabha on the bill to give constitutional status to the Lokpal.

A senior Congress leader said that a show cause notice will be issued to the MPs who had remained absent without prior information as a whip had been issued to members to be present in the house.

He said 13 party MPs were not present during the division on the constitutional amendment bill, but he did not disclose their names. The leader said two of these 13 MPs had given prior information about their absence. However, another leader said that 12 MPs were absent during the voting.

The leader said that nearly eight members from the Congress’ allies in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) were also not present.

Party sources said Congress president Sonia Gandhi also conveyed her unhappiness over party MPs not being present despite a whip.

“She pulled up a MP,” a party leader said.

Party spokesman Raashid Alvi said that the parliamentary party will decide the course of action on MPs not present in the house.

“Our parliamentary party will look into it and will decide on further course of action on those MPs who were not present,” Alvi told IANS.

Alvi blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the constitutional bill getting defeated in the house.

“We fulfilled our commitment (to pass the Lokpal bill), but unfortunately could not give it constitutional status. The BJP is responsible for this. It talks of a strong bill but was against constitutional status,” Alvi said.

He said the BJP did not even want to pass the Lokpal bill as its leader Sushma Swaraj said that the bill should be sent again to the standing committee.

In a major embarrassment, the government’s constitutional amendment bill in the Lok Sabha was defeated as the ruling coalition didn’t have the 50 percent strength in the house and two-thirds majority of the members present Tuesday night.

The idea to give constitutional status to Lokpal had been mooted by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and the move had full backing of the party and the government.

Minister of State for Personnel V. Narayanasamy had earlier admitted that it was a matter of concern for the party that some Congress MPs were not in the house Tuesday night.