Government on Wednesday expressed hope that it will be able to introduce the Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha in the afternoon.

"Hopefully, the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 will be tabled in Rajya Sabha this afternoon," parliamentary affairs minister P K Bansal told reporters in New Delhi.

The Lokpal Bill was passed by Lok Sabha yesterday.

He said, "One thing is certain, it cannot be taken up unless Rajya Sabha decides to sit late like we did in Lok Sabha. Then only perhaps it could be passed today. Otherwise it will be passed tomorrow, but it will be taken up for consideration today."

Earlier, union minister V Narayanasamy said the Lokpal Bill is unlikely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today.

The Lokpal Bill will have to get presidential assent in the wake of amendments made to it in the Lok Sabha yesterday and it can be tabled in the Rajya Sabha after that, he said.

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

Bansal also alleged that BJP had conspired to not confer Constitutional status to Lokpal.

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Lokpal Bill unlikely to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today

The Lokpal Bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha on Tuesday, is unlikely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

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 today in Rajya Sabha, it will be very late, he said.

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

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 on Thursday 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.

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Lokpal in danger in RS?

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, where the Lokpal Bill is likely to be taken up tomorrow, 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 tonight 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.