Parliament’s last no-confidence vote

the Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress Party filing a no-confidence motion, HT looks back at the last no-confidence motion moved in Parliament — in 2003.

NEWDELHI:With

The Congress, with the help of other Opposition parties, decided to bring a no-confidence motion against the Atal Bihari Vajpayeeled government in August 2003, following the re-induction of defence minister George Fernandes in the Union Cabinet. While the numbers were heavily stacked in Vajpayee’s favour, the Opposition leaders saw in a motion an opportunity to raise several charges against the National Democratic Alliance government.

WHAT HAPPENED

The challenge to the Congress was for the assembly elections in four states — Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan — that was due later in 2003, and the general elections the following year.

While the Congress would go on to win Delhi elections, the BJP’s victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan would propel it to advance the general elections by a few months — and pave way for the NDA’s loss.

The 2004 victory would become the first by the United Progressive Alliance, led by the Congress.

The UPA would form the government again in 2009 — but not before the Manmohan Singh-led regime would face its first no-confidence motion in July 2008, after the CPI(M)-led Left Front withdrew support over the Indo-US nuclear deal. Although the UPA scraped through (by a margin of UPA’s 275 votes to the Opposition’s 256), and also returned to power for another fiveyear term the following year, it would eventually lose power to the second NDA government — this time led by the BJP’s Narendra Modi.

It may be seen as a sheer coincidence that Modi, too, now faces a no-confidence motion in the fourth year of his government. The Opposition, unable to take up the motion since the House was not in order, is likely to push for a confidence vote on Monday.