Biju Janata Dal's support spoil Kejriwal game on 'Delhi Bill' ::: No Trust Motion to be debated from Aug 8 to 10

PM Narendra Modi spoke to Odisha CM and BJD leader seeking the party's support to pass Delhi Services Bill and during the No Trust motion 

Modi to meet NDA MPs from Uttar Pradesh, southern states today, August 2. 

Modi will hold meetings with groups of NDA MPs as part of the preparation for 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

PM scheduled to hold meetings with groups of NDA MPs from Kashi, Gorakhpur and Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh this evening. Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the meeting. 

The Prime Minister will also meet NDA MPs from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands today.

 

Mr Modi had held meetings with groups of NDA MPs from Western Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Brij region and also with NDA MPs from West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. The groups have been formed as part of efforts to bring more synergy to the poll efforts of NDA constituents.

Of course, the Narendra Modi government with the support of at least 350 MPs in the Lok Sabha, faces no threat of numbers from the No Confidence motion moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi from Assam

The No Trust Motion is set to come up in the House for discussions and voting from Aug 8 to 10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response to the debate will be on Aug 10th -- a day before the Monsoon Session is scheduled to end.

The Opposition parties also admitted that they might 'fail the number test' but they insist the purpose of this motion is to put pressure on the Prime Minister to speak on 'Manipur violence'.

The government's  parliamentary strategists insist that there are no rules or precedence which make it mandatory for the House to take up the no-confidence motion immediately.

The decision to fix debate dates on No Confidence motion between Aug 8 and 10 was taken at the Lok Sabha's business advisory committee meeting which was boycotted by the opposition bloc INDIA and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of Telangana.

They demanded that the House should immediately take up the motion and protested the government pushing through its legislative agenda.

A series of crucial legislative business are being taken up in both the Houses amid bedlam and slogan shouting during last few days. 

In Rajya Sabha, BJP-led NDA has number problems to deal with controversial Bills like that on Delhi services.

The ruling NDA has 100 MPs in the Upper House while Opposition number strength is presumably 101. The Treasury bench thus bank on nominated members and Independents, as well as other non-aligned parties.

Of course parties like Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have voted with the Modi regime in the past as well on multiple occasions. 

The BJD has announced that it will support the Delhi Services Bill and this is a big setback to Arvind Kejriwal and his party AAP. Mr Kejriwal had made it conditional to Congress that it should oppose the Bill in Parliament to ensure AAP's entry into the 26-party alliance. 

The BRS has seven MPs in Rajya Sabha and is also likely to vote against the bill while the YSR Congress (nine MPs) may back it. The YSRCP of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced that it will oppose the No Trust motion in Lok Sabha.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was tabled in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The bill replaces the contentious Ordinance on the control of services in the national capital.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has nine MPs in Rajya Sabha. The decision of Odisha's ruling party will help the Modi government at the Centre move closer to the halfway mark in Rajya Sabha. 

But the climax of Rajya Sabha may be still pending as the 'real time' halfway mark in Rajya Sabha is around 120 if all 238 existing members vote that day. 

The full strength of the House is 243 but there are some vacancies and AAP member Sanjay Singh has been suspended and this reduces Opposition tally. 

Introducing the bill in Lok Sabha on Aug 1, Tuesday, Amit Shah said “the Constitution gives Parliament all right to bring any law with respect to Delhi”.

The AAP camp's frustration came to light more clearly. Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "There are several parties which have been helping BJP in the Parliament. These parties are BJD, YSRCP and many others, all these parties have their own politics.

"But whenever BJP will get the chance to break their (BJD, YSRCP) party and make its govt, the BJP will not miss the chance to do so," he said.