No-confidence motion against Modi govt to be discussed on August 8-10; BJD to back govt

Sources said government has indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to respond to the debate on Friday afternoon.

The no-confidence motion moved by Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A will be taken up for discussion for three days from August 8, with the government rejecting demands for taking it up on priority.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Lok Sabha Business Advisory Committee (BAC) chaired by Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, as I.N.D.I.A leaders walked out of the meeting in protest over the lack of priority accorded to the motion and the decision to go ahead with substantive business against convention.

Sources said the government has indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to respond to the debate on August 10. The Monsoon Session, which started on July 20, is scheduled to adjourn sine die on August 11.

The Centre also got a boost on Tuesday as the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD announced support to the government on the no-trust motion submitted by Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi as well as the contentious Bill to replace an ordinance that took away Delhi government's power over its bureaucrats.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and his deputy Arjun Meghwal represented the government side at the BAC meeting while Leader of Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress Chief Whip Kodikkunnil Suresh, Trinamool Congress floor leader Sudip Bandhyopadhyay, DMK's T R Baalu, and JD(U)'s Rajeev Ranjan 'Lalan' Singh represented I.N.D.I.A, among other leaders.

Explained | What is no-confidence motion

Sources said Chowdhury demanded that the no-trust motion be taken up immediately and it not being taken soon after its acceptance on July 26 was against convention while the government was "bulldozing" Bills. He said when such a motion was brought against Manmohan Singh government, it was taken up immediately.

Bandhyopadhyay, Baalu, and Lalan Singh too supported Chowdhury, who also asked the ministers about a timeline for discussion. However, the government went ahead with deciding on time for four Bills, which irked I.N.D.I.A members, who walked out of the meeting.

I.N.D.I.A parties said they are aware that the numbers are not in their favour but they were forced to bring the motion because PM Modi was unwilling to make a statement in Parliament on the Manipur issue. Non-I.N.D.I.A parties like BRS and AIMIM are also likely to support the motion though their motion was not taken up, as Gogoi's notice was already accepted.

Suresh told DH that the Congress and other parties want the government to take up the motion immediately. "It is not about numbers. It is about the government's silence when Manipur is burning," he said.

BJP alone has 301 MPs and along with allies and the YSR Congress and BJD, it could get 359 votes, far more than the half-way mark of 272, while I.N.D.I.A partners and other Opposition parties are likely to get 154 votes. BSP (9), Akali Dal (2) and JD-S (1) are yet to announce their stand.

BJD Rajya Sabha floor leader Sasmit Patra told DH that the party has decided to support the government on the no-confidence motion and on the contentious ordinance Bill. Earlier, YSR Congress too had announced its support to the government on both counts. Both parties are not aligned to either the ruling NDA or the Opposition.

In Rajya Sabha where the numbers are closer, the ruling BJP now would get 130 votes, including nine BJD MPs, while the Opposition could get 103 votes.