Lok Sabha speaker accepts no-confidence motion against Modi govt

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday accepted a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led government and announced that a debate followed by voting on it would take place on Friday. However, the no-trust motion should not be much of a concern for the NDA government as the BJP has 273 members in the Lok Sabha, one above the halfway mark, besides its allies. This was the first time in 15 years that a no-confidence motion against the government was moved and accepted in Lok Sabha.

While accepting the notice, Mahajan said, “More than 50 members are supporting the motion, so the leave is granted (to bring in no-confidence motion).” The parties who backed the no-confidence motion are Congress, Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party and CPI-M.

“The House will take up the debate (on the motion) on Friday. The discussion will be held for the full day, followed by voting on it,” Mahajan announced in the House when it reassembled after the lunch break on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament. She also said that there would be no other business or Question Hour on Friday.

Mahajan said TDP MP Kesineni Srinivas would move the motion as his party was the first to raise the notice. However, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge objected to it, demanding that the largest party be allowed to move the motion. The Speaker retorted by saying that she was abiding by the rules, which say that the party which raises the motion first, gets to move it. “It’s not a question of big party, small party…The person who first brought the motion has to be called first,” Mahajan said.

The Speaker had not accepted notices for a similar no-confidence motion during the Budget Session, which was washed out due to continuous protests by the TDP, TRS and AIDMK over issues like the special category status for Andhra Pradesh and Cauvery management board respectively. It was the least productive Budget session in 18 years. Mahajan had then maintained that the notice could not be taken up unless there was decorum inside the House.

The TMC has already issued a whip to its Lok Sabha MPs asking them to be present in the House on Friday. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the TMC was supporting the no-confidence motion in the greater interest of opposition unity. “The people of the country will also express their no-confidence on the Narendra Modi government after a few months,” she said.

Earlier in the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government was prepared to face the no-confidence motion. “The opposition may have no confidence on the government, but the people of the country have full confidence on PM Modi,” Kumar said.

Reaching out to the Opposition, PM Modi said his government was ready for a debate on any issue raised by political parties and asserted that decisions need to be taken on several important matters in the national interest.

Meanwhile, proceedings in the Rajya Sabha went smoothly except for a brief adjournment after TDP members sought an immediate debate on their demand for a special package for Andhra Pradesh. TDP leader Y S Choudhary demanded a four-hour discussion on the matter and a commitment from the government on the issue. However, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu did not admit the notice.

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