Lokpal likely in RS on Thursday after President's assent

New Delhi: The Lokpal Bill may be taken up in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Sources have said that show cause notices have been served to the Congress MPs who were absent on Tuesday during the voting of Constitution Amendment Bill.

President Pratibha Patil is away in Hyderabad for her winter sojourn and so seeking clearance from her involves a little time.

Union Minister V Narayanasamy said the Lokpal Bill will have to get presidential assent in the wake of amendments made to it in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and it can be tabled in the Rajya Sabha after that.

After getting the President's clearance, even if the Bill is tabled on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha, it will be very late, he said.

After witnessing high drama on Tuesday both in Parliament and outside, the big question now remains, is the Lokpal Bill going the Womens' Reservation Bill way or will the government past muster in Rajya Sabha?

At least 25 MPs of the Congress and its allies in the UPA were absent during voting on the Constitution Amendment Bill on Lokpal in the Lok Sabha which was defeated for lack of numbers.

In the 245-member Rajya Sabha, the Congress and its allies account for only 92 and fall short of a simple majority.

"The next step is that the bill be taken to Rajya Sabha after getting the assent of the President, carrying out the amendments. After the President's assent only the bill will be placed before Rajya Sabha," Narayanasamy said.

"It will be placed in the Rajya Sabha hopefully tomorrow for the purpose of consideration and passing and we are talking to our allies and political parties, because we want to the pass the Lokpal Bill as passed in Lok Sabha," the Union Minister of State in the PMO said.

Narayanasamy admitted that the UPA did not have the numbers in Rajya Sabha. "It will work with the allies and others to ensure that the Bill is passed," he said.

Absence of BSP, SP and RJD members, which resulted in the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, has raised questions over the fate of Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha.

In the Upper House of Parliament, the Congress does not have majority on its own or with its allies in the UPA.

In the 245-member House, the Congress and its allies NCP, DMK, Trinamool Congress, LJP and RLD together have 93 members.

Parties supporting the government from outside - BSP (18), SP (5) and RJD (4) - account for 27 crucial votes.

These three parties had walked out of the Lok Sabha before voting on the Lokpal Bill on Tuesday night but their absence did not matter much because the bill required only a simple majority and it was passed by a voice vote.

But the absence of 42 MPs from these three parties in the Lok Sabha spelt disaster for the government in the Constitutional Amendment Bill which required a special majority for passage.

If the three parties absent themselves during voting in the Rajya Sabha, then the government has a lot to worry.

The BJP which had also raised a number of objections to the Lokpal bill was to some extent mollified because the government came out with official amendments like giving option to states to set up a Lokayukta, changing the requirement of three-fourth members to clear investigation against Prime Minister to two-third and to protect the powers of Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman in regard to MPs.

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