Opposition to bring no-confidence motion against Modi govt: reports

Some parties of the opposition INDIA alliance are likely to move a notice for a no-confidence motion against the government in the Lok Sabha in an attempt to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak in Parliament on the Manipur violence, sources said on Tuesday.

A proposal to submit the notice was discussed at a meeting of the constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Tuesday morning.

It was decided after weighing various options that this would be an effective way to compel the government to initiate a discussion on the issue, the sources said.

The opposition strategy to corner the government on Manipur will continue in the Rajya Sabha as well, the sources said. "I am not aware of their move but if they are doing so they should know that last time they brought a no-confidence motion, BJP came back to power with a stronger majority of over 300 seats and the same will happen again and we will get more than 350 seats," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in response.

The first no-confidence motion against the Modi government in the Lok Sabha was moved on July 20, 2018. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won with a thumping majority with 325 MPs voting no and only 126 in favour of the no-confidence motion.

Although there was little doubt over the outcome of the 2018 no-trust vote on the floor of the Lower House because of the sheer number of MPs in the NDA’s kitty, the debate gave an opportunity for the opposition to attack the government on a range of issues including farm distress, slow economic growth and rising incidents of mob lynching.