Cong, BJP go in for ‘dinner diplomacy’

BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI

July 18: With D-day for the trust vote just four days away from now, the parties from both sides have decided to go in for "dinner diplomacy" for next two days.

Though mouth watering delicacies would be served, politics would top among the flavours.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi would be hosting a dinner for party MPs as also those of the UPA constituents on Saturday and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to invite the supporting MPs on Sunday.

Claiming the PM’s dinner as its "last supper", main Opposition BJP is also going to have a dinner party at the Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani’s residence for all the constituents of the NDA. Independent MPs, who have pledged their support to it, are also invited to join in.

CPI(M), the party leading the Left flock, has called its Central Committee on Saturday for two days to decide the future strategies.

NDA ally JD(U) has also timed its national executive for Saturday and Sunday amid talks of party leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar trying to bring in more legislators to the NDA side from other parties in the state.

Several smaller parties have also organised get-togethers of their MPs to ensure keeping their flock together amid growing indications that the confidence motion could see walking on the razor’s edge.

Former Andra Pradesh chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has also convened an informal meet of his party MPs on Sunday night.