Claiming that the BJP-led NDA coalition is united, Union Minister Ananth Kumar has asserted that the Shiv Sena will vote against the Opposition’s no confidence motion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is all set to face on Friday.
The no confidence motion was admitted on Wednesday by the Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
“The NDA is united and will vote against the motion,” Ananth Kumar said when he was asked about Shiv Sena’s stand on the crucial vote.
The BJP believes that the government will get the support of as many as 314 MPs in the Lok Sabha, when the no-trust motion against the government would be put to vote on Friday.
According to the estimate by the party’s floor managers, the government is likely to get support from small parties outside the NDA such as Anbumani Ramadoss-led PMK and Raju Shetty-led Swabhimani Paksha.
Although Shetty and Ramadoss are no longer members of the NDA, the government believes they would support it during the vote on the motion.
Sources in the party said the Narendra Modi-led government would get the support of 314 MPs in the lower house, which has an effective strength of 535 members.
The list of the 314 MPs, however, does not include Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who is also a BJP MP, they said. The majority mark is 268.
Ananth Kumar on Wednesday also said the party had issued a whip to its Lok Sabha members for two days and asked them to be present in the House.
In a House of 535 members, the ruling National Democratic Alliance has 313 members in the Lok Sabha, including 274 (including the Speaker) of BJP, 18 of Shiv Sena, six LJP and four SAD.
The stated strength of the Opposition is 222, including 63 of the Congress-led UPA, 37 of AIADMK, 34 of TMC, 20 BJD, 16 TDP and 11 TRS.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on the first day of the Monsoon Session announced that the House would take up on July 20 the debate (on the no-confidence motion) moved by many opposition parties on issues like special status to Andhra Pradesh, cow vigilantism, lynching, atrocities against women and Dalits and alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act.
(With agency inputs)