INDIA:INDIAN PRIME minister Manmohan Singh's government survived a crucial parliamentary confidence vote yesterday, clearing the way for it to clinch a controversial civil nuclear energy deal with the US and putting off early elections.
Singh's Congress Party-led coalition secured 275 ballots in the vote forced by the withdrawal of support by Communist MPs opposed to the nuclear pact, against 256 polled by the opposition.
At least 10 members in the 541-member house abstained or absented themselves as government MPs congratulated Singh.
Many Sikhs hailed the prime minister from their community as "Singh is king" and anticipated that in the remaining nine months of his term, unshackled by Communist support he would now execute long-delayed economic and labour reforms.
Yesterday's vote ended a fortnight of intense politicking during which ruling and opposition parties cut deals, reportedly paid out financial and political "inducements" and lobbied furiously to prevail.
It led to the government renaming an airport after an MP's father and, according to senior MPs, handing out millions of dollars in bribes to others in an effort to survive. So close was the ballot that six MPs jailed for murder and extortion were temporarily released from prison to enable them to vote.
Dr Singh, however, was also unable to respond to two days of extended debate on the motion centred round the nuclear pact following Opposition demands for his resignation over allegations that his government had bribed three of their MPs to survive the parliamentary ballot.
Ahead of the vote, parliament descended into chaos after three Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs rushed to the House floor waving bundles of cash they claimed had been paid them in bribes by senior Congress Party officials.
BJP MP Ashok Argal produced bags stuffed with currency notes amounting to 30 million rupees (€450,000) alleging it had been given him to abstain from voting, thereby helping Singh's government survive.
Meanwhile, the nuclear deal whose future was now assured would allow India access to global commerce, civilian nuclear fuel and technology despite retaining its atomic weapons arsenal and not signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
It was also expected to unlock £20 billion (€25.2 billion) in nuclear energy investment domestically over the next decade as India sought new power sources to fuel its booming economic growth rate, the world's second highest after China's.
But it is unclear whether Singh's government can contain inflation raging at a 13-year high of nearly 12 per cent, improve the deteriorating domestic security situation and make peace with nuclear rival Pakistan before the end of his term in April 2009.