The no-confidence motion brought by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Wednesday will not hurt the government as NDA has 331 MPs in Lok Sabha as against INDIA’s number of around 150 in the Lok Sabha. “It is not a matter of numbers, but of morality,” Congress MP Manish Tewari said clarifying the expectations that INDIA has from this no-confidence motion.
“When there will be division on the motion in the Lok Sabha, morality will be tested and it will be incumbent upon every MP to take a ‘personal position’,” Manish Tewari said. Read | Indira to Modi: When PMs faced no-confidence motion a year ahead of polls
What is a no-confidence motion?
A no-confidence motion is a written statement expressing no trust in the incumbent government. Any Lok Sabha MP with the signatures of 50 members can bring a no-confidence motion. If it is submitted before 10am, like what happened on Wednesday, the notice is read by the Speaker.
The Speaker on Wednesday admitted the no-confidence motion and said he will inform INDIA about the schedule for discussion.
No-confidence motion: When will it be discussed in Parliament?
The Speaker has the discretion to allot a date within 10 days from the day the motion is accepted. The Congress demanded the motion be taken up on Thursday. Congress MP Manish Tewari said when a no-confidence motion is brought and it is said that the House has lost confidence in the government, all business should be put on hold.
No-confidence motion: Which parties supported
All parties who have come under INDIA favoured the no-confidence motion. When Speaker Om Birla asked for Lok Sabha members to stand up in favour of the motion, Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, DMK’s T R Baalu and NCP leader Supriya Sule, stood up. Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, CPI, CPI(M), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), JD(U), and AAP stood up for the headcount.
No-confidence motion: How are the numbers stacked?
Out of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, five are vacant. The NDA has over 330 members and the opposition alliance has around 140 and 60 members are not aligned to any of the groups.
No-confidence motion: What INDIA wants
The united opposition has been demanding a statement from PM Modi in Parliament. PM Modi expressed his anguish after the video of two Kuki women paraded naked surfaced. The opposition wants a statement inside Parliament. The government is ready to discuss the Manipur issue in Parliament, Union home minister Amit Shah wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.