Modi govt to use no-trust vote to dent Opposition unity

New Delhi: With the numbers safely stacked in its favour, the Modi government on Wednesday agreed to allow the Opposition sponsored no-confidence motion with the hope of using its failure to “expose” the Oppositions’ unity ahead of crucial Assembly polls due later this year.

The BJP, sources said, has a plan not just to defeat the Opposition’s motion, but to also use this opportunity to flex its muscles.

The party will field its “good speakers” to counter the Oppositions’ allegations against the government and the ruling party, before it gets to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply.

The government, sources said, will also “trash” its former ally TDP’s allegations against it on the issue of a special package for Andhra Pradesh post-bifurcation. However, the Congress, which has been trying to corner the Modi government on various issues, will remain the BJP’s “primary target,” sources disclosed.

The BJP alone has 273 members in the Lower House whose current strength is at 535, making 268 as the majority mark.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan, had rejected the Opposition parties’ demand for a no-confidence motion against the Modi government during the last budget session.

However, with the government agreeing on the very first day of the monsoon session of Parliament to the no-trust motion, there was speculation that a deal had been struck between the government and some key Opposition parties to allow Parliament to function smoothly to clear some key non-controversial bills, including the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2018, National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and Dam Safety Bill, 2018 among others. Both the Houses functioned smoothly on the first day, with the Upper House passing the State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017, and Lok Sabha passing the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017.
 
Though the BJP alone has enough numbers to sail through the no-trust motion, it is confident that its allies, including disgruntled ones like Shiv Sena, will vote in its favour.

Sources said the government’s floor managers are also in touch with non-NDA, non-UPA parties, including the BJD, AIADMK and TRS, for their support.

Though Anbumani Ramadoss-led PMK and Raju Shetty-led Swabhimani Paksha are no longer with the NDA, the government believes that they will support it during the vote on the no-confidence motion. Sources disclosed the Modi government is likely to get the support of 314 MPs in the Lower House.

A senior BJP leader said “Their (oppositions) motion is going to be defeated and then they will not have anything left because it will be proved on Friday that NDA not only has the maximum strength but even new allies. It will be big message to the opposition parties who are trying to firm up an anti-Modi front and spreading propaganda against the government, ahead of Lok Sabha polls.”

Exuding confidence, parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar said the NDA stands united and will vote against the motion.

“We are hopeful that we will get support from parties outside NDA as well. It is strange that Opposition brings this motion despite the fact that the BJP got majority on its own and today NDA is ruling in 21 states,” he said.

The BJP has issued a whip to its Lok Sabha members and asked them to be present in the House for two days.