Expelled BJP MP Manorama says N-deal not harmful

Malpe (Udupi), July 25: BJP MP from Udupi, Manorama Madhwaraj, who was expelled by the party for abstaining from voting on the trust motion moved by UPA Government in Lok Sabha on July 22, has said she chose not to vote against the government as she favoured the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Talking to reporters at her residence in Malpe last night, she said that she believed the deal was not harmful to the country. Therefore she preferred to abstain from voting as she could not go against the party’s whip to vote against the motion, Manorama said.

On the party’s decision to expel her, she said she was not bothered by it. However, Manorama said she had not received any communication from the party about the action.

She said she had decided not to contest in the next parliamentary elections and would continue to support the movement against the Nagarjuna Termal Power Project (NTPP) in the district.

Manorama was among the eight BJP Lok Sabha members whom the party expelled for voting in favour of the UPA Government during the confidence motion.