Prathamesh Basagare, Pune
On behalf of the INDIA alliance, the Congress tabled a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on Wednesday, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla approved it. The motion was made by Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress’s deputy leader in the Lower House. Assam-born Congressman Gaurav Gogoi presented the notice earlier at 9:20 a.m. as part of the INDIA grouping’s effort to compel PM Modi to respond to concerns like the violence in Manipur.
Birla stated that he will discuss the situation with all parties within the bounds of the law. “I will inform you about the schedule for the discussion.” Any no-confidence notice lodged before 10 a.m. must be heard the same day, per the rules. People with knowledge of the situation said it was doubtful that the motion would be discussed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The math might not support the no-confidence motion, even when the Opposition is unified. The BJP-led NDA has more than 330 members in the 543-member Assembly; INDIA has more than 140; and over 60 lawmakers belong to parties that are not affiliated with either of the two groups.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi stated, “People have confidence in PM Modi and the BJP. They brought a No Confidence Motion in the last term as well. The people of this country taught them a lesson.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s predictions for 2019 come true. Statements in the Lok Sabha in 2019 in which he mockingly encouraged opposition parties to prepare hard to move such a motion in 2023 have gone viral. The remarks were made in response to the opposition moving a no-confidence resolution against his government.
He had made the remark in his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, which was his last significant statement in the House before the 2019 general elections. “I want to send you my good wishes that you prepare so much that you get a chance to bring no-confidence again in 2023.”