NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has announced a 3-day debate on the no-confidence motion against the Modi government, scheduled from August 8. Prime Minister Modi will address the motion on August 10, a day before the monsoon session of Parliament concludes.
Despite having the required numbers to sail through, the government may end the session before the debate, leaving the no-confidence motion undebated.
The opposition parties were thrilled that the debate falls on August 8, the day when Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement for independence from the Britishers.
The motion, initiated by Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi on behalf of the INDIA opposition, seeks Prime Minister's response on the Manipur situation within the House.
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Although the no-confidence motion is likely to fail based on numbers, the opposition aims to use it as a platform to pressure the government on the Manipur issue and compel PM Modi to address it in Parliament.
This marks the second time the Modi government faces a no-confidence motion since 2014. The NDA secured a decisive victory with 325 MPs voting against the motion in 2018.
Lok Sabha currently has 543 seats, with the NDA holding over 330 members and the Opposition alliance having more than 140. There are nearly 60 members unaligned with either.
Notably, the Rajya Sabha does not have provisions for a no-confidence motion, and efforts for debate under Rule 267 have been curtailed by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar, who admitted a short-duration notice on Manipur on July 20. The issue will be discussed for two-and-a-half hours in the House.
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