The 12-hour debate on the no-confidence motion moved against the Narendra Modi government was fierce, but in the end the Treasury carried the day and the Opposition saw some depletion in its ranks when the votes were counted. The Hindu spoke to the floor managers of major parties involved in the debate and an interesting picture has emerged on voting preferences.
The NDA ranks, which should have totalled up to 312, came down to 294 with the Shiv Sena’s 18 members refusing to participate in the day’s proceedings.
However, the ruling coalition got a shot in the arm with the AIADMK voting with the government. With the southern support, the numbers for the government should have gone upto 331, with the AIADMK’s 37 MPs. However, the tally on the electronic board at voting was 325 MPs with the government; that meant that four AIADMK MPs and two BJP MPs did not vote.
“Kirti Azad is abroad for personal reasons and Porbandar MP Vithal Radadiya is seriously ill and couldn’t make it,” one of the government’s floor managers said.
Micro-monitoring
The BJP managed to hold on to its flock with micro-monitoring by party president Amit Shah, and newly appointed chief whip Anurag Thakur. “On Wednesday, nearly 32 MPs were not in Delhi; they were summoned immediately, with two MPs being brought in to vote on stretchers,” said a source.
The AIADMK voted against the no-confidence motion. All 37 MPs were present in the House. “The Narendra Modi government has only a year to go and they are going to face elections soon. We believe that every State or Union government should be allowed to continue for five years,” AIADMK floor leader P. Venugopal told The Hindu .
Eleven members of the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) walked out before the vote, and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) abstained.
The strength of those opposing the government should have stood at 144, but the electronic board showed only 126. In the Congress, two members were absent including Madhya Pradesh Pradesh Congress Committee President Kamal Nath and Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering. “Both Mr Nath and Mr Ering had sought permission to be absent,” Congress Chief Whip K.C. Venugopal said.
