New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) Dismissing all threats to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, central minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan Saturday asserted that 281 MPs would vote in favour of the ruling coalition in the trust motion Tuesday. “We have 281 MPs. The figure is stable and will go up further,” Paswan said at a press conference here. The government needs 272 votes to win the confidence motion.

Paswan held that the Congress-led UPA - of which his LJP is a part - was together “on principles of economic growth, secularism and social justice”.

On the other hand, the three opposition groups were playing opportunistic politics, he charged.

“This government is bringing a confidence motion on the India-US nuclear deal. The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition party) is opposing the motion. But it is not willing to talk about the deal. What is this if it is not opportunism?”

Paswan said the move by the Left parties to withdraw support to the government over the deal after having supported the UPA for over four years “has nothing to do with ideology. If that had been the case, they wouldn’t have joined hands with the BJP. Their problem is that one or two of their leaders have made it a prestige issue to oppose the prime minister.”

The central minister was more dismissive about the third locus ranged against the government, the Bahujan Samaj Party led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. “She is not bothered about any ideology,” Paswan said.

He welcomed the opportunity for debate on the nuclear deal that the confidence motion would bring. “We’ll show how the deal is good for the country. You’ll see, the opposition won’t even talk about the deal during the debate.

“Ninety percent of the people in this country have not read the actual deal. It will not affect our foreign policy (as charged by the opposition). That has been stable since the time of (India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal) Nehru and will remain so.

“Our victory on July 22 will signal our victory in the next election.”