AT UP RALLY, MODI MOCKS ‘UNWANTED HUG’

SHAHJAHANPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took a swipe at the “unwanted hug” he received from Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Parliament on Friday, tying the gesture to the absence of reason for the no-confidence motion brought against his National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

“We asked the reason for their no-confidence motion, but when they failed to give it, they ended up giving an unwanted hug,” Modi said at a farmers’ rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur, referring to the embrace he received during the debate on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha.

Modi’s Bjp-led NDA won the vote, initiated by estranged BJP ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and backed by most opposition parties, with a nearly three-fourths majority after an intense debate. Gandhi led the opposition’s charge in the debate with a blistering attack on the Modi government, and after ending his speech, walked up to Modi and hugged him.

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government’s winning margin in the vote on the no confidence motion is set to increase after the final results are officially declared on Monday.

After the voting through electronic machines attached to the seats, the government got 325 votes while the Opposition managed to get just 126 votes as three regional parties, Biju Janata Dal, BJP ally Shiv Sena and Telengana Rashtriya Samithi didn’t vote.

But as the ballot votes were counted, the NDA’S winning margin is likely to go up by 4-5 votes.

“As per our calculation, the government will get additional 8-9 votes in the ballot while the Opposition is expected to mop up another 4 or 5 votes. So the net difference of around 4-5 votes will go in favour of the ruling side”, said a political functionary.

Several MPS sought ballot papers to cast their votes or to amend them after the electronic voting was over, officials said on Saturday.

The final result will be declared by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday when the House meets for the monsoon session.

According to functionaries in the ruling establishment, 81MPS didn’t vote after the first count.

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj’s vote was not marked electronically.

Apart from her, BJP’S Kirti Azad, Vitthalbhai Radadiya, Bharat Singh, Pradan Baruah and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Ranjit Singh’s votes were not registered in the electronic system.

“This is a very common thing in a floor test. Sometimes the members press wrong buttons. That’s the reason why there is a provision for a ballot even after casting a vote electronically. On Friday too, whoever wanted to cast their vote in ballots, were allowed to do so,” said an official.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda failed to register his vote in the electronic voting.