The one-year-old Kiran Kumar Reddy government received a breather when a no-confidence motion tabled by the Telugu Desam Party and backed by the entire Opposition was defeated by a wide margin of 38 votes after a marathon 16-hour-long debate at 1.30 a.m. on Tuesday.
In winning the confidence of the Assembly by 160-122 votes, the Congress paid a heavy price as 16 of its MLAs owing loyalty to Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy defied its whip and voted in favour of the no-trust motion. They stand to be disqualified under the provisions of the anti-defection law, an eventuality for which they were prepared.
If the Congress petitions the Speaker seeking their disqualification, the Kiran Kumar Reddy government's strength in the House will go down to 137, way below the half-way mark in the 294-member Assembly. It will have to fall back every time on the Praja Rajyam (17 MLAs) and the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which has 7 members, for support.
The voting pattern, including the rebellion by pro-Jagan MLAs, went along expected lines. It was only the number of rebels that was a subject matter of speculation. The TDP, the TRS, the CPI, the BJP and the CPI (M), besides the Congress rebels, voted in support of the motion while the Congress sailed through with the backing of the Praja Rajyam and the MIM. The lone Lok Satta member, N. Jayaprakash Narayan, remained neutral.
In all, 19 MLAs owing allegiance to the YSR Congress, including Ms. Vijayamma, a TDP member, Balanagi Reddy and Shobha Nagi Reddy (PRP), voted in favour of the motion. They had earlier openly declared their resolve to express their lack of confidence in the government for neglecting farmers who were suffering due to the drought in nearly three-fourths of the State. Congress member P. Ravi slipped away from their camp and returned to the Congress fold at the last moment.
Minus the existing vacancies and the abstentions, the voting strength was 283 and the government required at least 143 votes to survive. Its victory was largely a result of the Congress high command brokering peace with the sulking Praja Rajyam MLAs and its promise to the MIM to give the post of Hyderabad Mayor.
