NEW DELHI, July 22 (Xinhua) -- India's United
Progressive Alliance government won the trust vote by 275 votes to 256 in the
parliament, parliament speaker Somnath Chatterjee declared Tuesday.
A session of the parliament began here Monday, which
is widely considered to be crucial for the fate of Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's alliance government.
India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
gestures to photographers upon his arrival at the Indian parliament in New
Delhi July 22, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
The trust vote, which took place Tuesday at the end
of the two-day debate, had been necessitated by the withdrawal of support from
the Congress-led UPA government by the Left parties over differences on the
India-U.S. nuclear deal.
The Left parties withdrew support on July 8 after the
UPA government made it clear that it was going ahead with the deal. After the
Left's withdrawal, the UPA government was reduced to a minority in the
parliament.
Journalists wait outside the
parliamentary building in New Delhi, capital of India, July 22, 2008.
India's United Progressive Alliance government won the trust vote in the
parliament, parliament speaker Somnath Chatterjee declared Tuesday
evening. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Out of the 541 voting members, the UPA government had
to get support from at least 271 parliament members to survive the vote.
Facing the biggest political crisis in over four
years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted Monday that he was confident of
winning the trust vote, irrespective of the chaos that existed inside the
parliament during the debate.
A policeman stands guard outside the
parliamentary building in New Delhi, capital of India, July 22,
2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States prompted
India to prove the U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation deal, saying time is
running out before Congress has time to ratify the pact.
"If their legislature lets it move forward then we can do
the same here and then we'll be able to get this wrapped up," White House
spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters. Full story
