Sebastian Paul
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Thiruvananthapuram: The bribery allegations during the no-confidence motion against the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in 2008 is again rearing its ugly head as a former Left-front MP from Kerala claimed that he was also offered Rs 25 crore to vote in favour of the UPA government.
Former CPI(M)-backed independent MP Sebastian Paul in an article published in a Malayalam weekly, said that two persons, who claimed to be emissaries of Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee, approached him at his Delhi residence and offered Rs 25 crore for voting in favour of the government in the no-confidence motion over the Indo-US nuclear deal. As he was a CPI(M) backed independent MP, the party whip or disqualification under anti-defection law wouldn't be applicable to him.
Paul also said that he didn't fall for it as he was doubtful of the authenticity as the amount offered seemed quite big and even doubted whether it was a sting operation. But later he came to know from Congress leader Vayalar Ravi that it was not a sting. Ravi said that his (Paul's) name was removed from Mukherjee's list of MP's who could be lured to vote against the motion.
The three time MP also recollected that nothing happened to those who took the offer and even those who kept off from voting by falling sick.
It may be recalled that the Parliament had witnessed a major row over the no-confidence motion with BJP MPs alleging that Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh tried to bribe them.