Trust vote: BJP, AIADMK to meet as TMC stays defiant

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AIADMK are expected to meet today to decide on their strategy over the no-confidence motion being sought by Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee in Parliament against the government over price rise and FDI in multi-brand retail.

The winter session of Parliament begins on Thursday. With just two days to go, battlelines are being drawn against the embattled Congress-led coalition government. While Mamata is leading the charge, she may not have the numbers to topple the government. The CPM on Monday rejected reports that it would support the trust vote.

Other regional parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party would support the vote and precipitate the crisis only if they are sure that the government is going down. The government, however, is confident that it has the numbers.

The TMC, however, will not let it go so easy, says party Chief Whip Derek O'Brien. Speaking to CNN-IBN, he said that the former UPA ally would take all possible steps to bring down the government for its anti-people policies.