Govt, Oppn brace for today's no-trust vote

New Delhi: Hectic efforts are on to form ranks on both sides of the political divide ahead of Friday's no-confidence motion against the government. Given the NDA's sheer numbers in parliament's lower house, the government may not face too many jitters during the trust vote. The big question will be the decision of fence-sitters given next year's general elections. Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK and Telangana Rashtra Samithi of K Chandrashekar Rao, are likely to vote in favour of the government, sources said, after BJP chief Amit Shah reached out to them. Naveen Patnaik's BJD is likely to abstain.

Though the numbers are heavily stacked against the opposition, the Congress and other parties indicated on Friday that they are keen to utilise the debate to attack the government on a range of issues including farm distress, slow economic growth and rising incidents of lynching.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked his party MPs to remain in Delhi, but the final decision as to whether the party will support the Modi government against the Opposition's no-confidence motion will be taken on Friday, a Sena functionary said late on Thursday night.

Earlier in the day, a whip issued by the Sena had asked all MPs to support the NDA government.

The BJP, on the other hand, is seeking to expand the guaranteed support of 313 members and said it would back the government and look for support from regional parties like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) and the Biju Janata Dal(BJD).

In a House of 534 MPs, the National Democratic Alliance(NDA) has 313 members including 274 (including the Speaker)of BJP, 18 of Shiv Sena, six of Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and four from Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD). The majority mark in the House is 268. There are 11 vacancies.

As the opposition and the government geared up for the no-trust motion- the first in 15 years, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami hinted his party AIADMK might not back the motion. On the other side, another key political stakeholder in the south- the TRS also seemed to maintain a distance from the no-confidence motion since Wednesday. The ruling BJD in Odisha said it would reveal its stand on the motion on the floor of the House on Friday. The BJD has 19 MPs. Indications are that it might abstain from the trust vote.

All the key parties including the BJP and the Congress have issued whips to ensure the presence of all its members in the House.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday said the discussion on the no-confidence motion moved by BJP's former ally TDP and others will be held for the full day followed by voting on it.

The BJP claimed it would comfortably sail through the no-confidence motion and that it is hopeful of getting support from several non-NDA parties.

The Congress, however, said it is not only a question of numbers.

The debate in Lok Sabha will be held from 11 am on Friday. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to speak soon after it starts, PM Modi, who will be present in the House, will respond to it shortly before the voting is held.