News Brief
Abhay Rathore
Jul 27, 2023, 12:32 PM | Updated 12:31 PM IST
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A motion of no-confidence against the government led by Narendra Modi is set to take place following the Congress party's decision to move the motion.
The parliament has been deadlocked due to ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur, which has been a major factor contributing to the standstill since the start of the Monsoon Session on July 20.
In addition to the Congress motion, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has also filed a separate no-confidence motion. However, the BRS is not part of the 'I.N.D.I.A' coalition.
For the no-confidence motion to proceed, it must be supported by at least 50 members in the house. The Congress motion is expected to garner the necessary support, but the BRS only holds 9 seats in the Lok Sabha.
The Lok Sabha, consisting of 543 members, currently has the ruling NDA with a strength of 331. On the other hand, the Opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance has 144 members in the house.
Despite lacking the necessary numbers to win a floor test, the opposition parties believe they can still gain an advantage by focusing on the Manipur issue during the debate. Their objective is to shape public perception and put pressure on the government.
A no-confidence motion is a parliamentary tool used by the opposition to convey their lack of confidence in the government. In response, the ruling party must demonstrate its majority in the House in order to retain confidence. If the ruling party fails to secure the majority, the government will immediately collapse. The government can continue to hold power as long as it maintains the majority in the Lok Sabha.
According to a report, their strategy also involves compelling the prime minister to address the matter in Parliament, despite the government's insistence that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will respond to the debate on the Manipur situation.
Since the start of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20, opposition members have resorted to protests and sloganeering in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. As a result, the two Houses have faced repeated adjournments.
The government has expressed its willingness to engage in discussions about Manipur. However, the opposition parties are insisting on conducting these discussions under a rule that includes voting.
Abhay Rathore is Staff Writer at Swarajya.