All About INDIA's No-Trust Motion In Parliament, And Whether It Stands A Chance

Today (8 August), the opposition in the Lok Sabha will bring a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led government, leading to a fierce debate.

The Congress party, along with other members of the INDIA alliance, has called for a no-trust vote against the government.

Throughout the ongoing Monsoon session, chaos and ruckus have plagued a significant portion of the proceedings. These disturbances stem from the clamour created by the opposition bloc regarding the ethnic clashes in Manipur, which have resulted in over 125 deaths and thousands of people being displaced.

The opposition bloc is likely to have Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as their main speaker during the debate. The vote on the no-confidence motion is expected to take place on either Wednesday or Thursday, following the presentations from both sides.

What Is A No-Confidence Motion?

A no-confidence motion is a parliamentary motion initiated by the opposition to express a lack of confidence in the ruling government. It serves as a way for the opposition to challenge the legitimacy and performance of the government, potentially leading to its removal from power.

A no-confidence motion is like a parliamentary tool used by the opposition to express their lack of confidence in the government. To maintain confidence, the ruling party must prove its majority in the House.

If the government loses the majority, it will fall immediately. As long as the ruling party has the majority in the Lok Sabha, it can remain in power.

However, the current strength in the Lok Sabha is in favour of the government.

How Will Voting Happen?

In the motion, a total of 539 members of the Lok Sabha will vote. The majority mark required is 270.

The opposition INDIA alliance is comprised of 143 parties, while the combined strength of non-allied parties like KCR's BRS, Y S Jagan Reddy's YSRCP, and Naveen Patnaik's BJD is 70.

It is anticipated that YSRCP (22) and BJD (12) will also support the government.

What Is The Expected Outcome?

With approximately 366 members already pledging their support, the government is expected to successfully navigate the no-trust vote.

The INDIA alliance, which opposes the current government, has a total of 143 votes.

Additionally, they could potentially gain 9 more votes from the BRS, bringing their total to 152.

This comes as the opposition has been demanding a discussion on the issue of Manipur, considering it to be the most pressing matter at hand.

The government has agreed to this demand, but has clarified that the Prime Minister will not personally address the House on the issue, which has been a major request from the opposition.

Although the no-confidence motion put forth by the opposition parties is expected to fail in terms of numbers, they argue that they will succeed in the "battle of perception" by focusing on the Manipur issue during the debate.

The opposition believes that this strategy will force the Prime Minister to address the crucial matter in Parliament.

The Modi-led government had to confront a no-confidence motion in July 2018 as well. This motion was presented by Srinivas Kesineni from the Telugu Desam Party. Following an extensive 11-hour debate, the government easily managed to overcome the motion with the backing of 330 MPs.