'No-Confidence Motion Is Not About Numbers': Here's What Opposition Wants

The Congress has made its strategy clear regarding the no-confidence motion brought by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Wednesday. Despite the numerical disadvantage, with the NDA having 331 MPs in Lok Sabha compared to INDIA's around 150, the Congress emphasizes that this motion is not just about numbers but about morality.

Congress MP Manish Tewari stated that when the division on the motion takes place in Lok Sabha, it will test the moral stance of every MP, making it incumbent upon them to take a personal position.

Explaining what a no-confidence motion entails, Tewari highlighted that it is a written statement expressing a lack of trust in the current government. Any Lok Sabha MP with the support of 50 members can bring forth a no-confidence motion. Once submitted, the Speaker reads the notice, as happened on Wednesday.

Regarding the timing of the discussion, the Speaker has the discretion to allot a date within 10 days from the acceptance of the motion. The Congress demanded that the motion be taken up on Thursday, asserting that when such a motion is brought, all other business in the House should be put on hold.

The no-confidence motion garnered support from various parties within INDIA. When asked to stand in favor of the motion, leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Farooq Abdullah, T R Baalu, and Supriya Sule stood up, along with representatives from Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, CPI, CPI(M), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), JD(U), and AAP.

In terms of numbers, out of the 543 seats in Lok Sabha, five are vacant. The NDA has over 330 members, while the opposition alliance has around 140, and there are 60 members unaligned with any of the groups.

The united opposition's main demand is a statement from PM Modi in Parliament following the distressing video of two Kuki women being paraded naked. They want the Prime Minister to address the issue within Parliament, and the government has expressed readiness to discuss the Manipur issue in the House, as conveyed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.