A Quick Glimpse At The History Of No-Confidence Motions As Modi Govt Faces Its Second

In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi initiated a no-confidence debate on the Manipur violence issue. Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, the INDIA bloc introduced a privilege motion against Leader of the House Piyush Goyal for labelling its members as "traitors."

New Delhi: The debate on the no-confidence motion moved by the ‘INDIA’ bloc, the Opposition coalition, against the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre in Lok Sabha is set to resume on Wednesday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to address the Lower House today, days after his MP status was reinstated. The first day of debate on Tuesday witnessed a fiery exchange of words between ministers and opposition party leaders. However, the discussion eventually escalated into name-calling, and both sides hurled allegations throughout the day.

The Lok Sabha accepted a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government on July 26. The motion was proposed by the Congress and supported by other members of the opposition INDIA bloc.

Before the debate, PM Modi assured MPs from his party that it is not a test of trust in his government, but on the confidence INDIA alliance partners have on each other. Addressing BJP MPs at the Parliamentary party meeting  yesterday, he stated that his party will “hit a sixer in the last ball”, apparently referring to his reply to the motion after the three-day debate.

MP Govt To Face No Confidence Motion Second Time

It’s worth mentioning that this marks the second instance where the Modi government has encountered a no-confidence motion since taking office in 2014. The initial no-confidence motion against the Modi government in the Lok Sabha was presented on July 20, 2018. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a resounding victory, with 325 MPs voting against the motion and only 126 in favour.

What Happens If Govt Wins The No-Confidence Motion Vote?

If the government wins the vote on the no-confidence motion, the motion is defeated and the government remains in power.What happens if the government lose the vote on the no-confidence motion?

What If Govt Lose The Vote?

The government in power has to resign to make way to the government who has majority of the house. If no party or alliance have majority fresh elections may be announced.

History And Impacts Of No-Confidence Motions

In 1952, the Lok Sabha rules stated that a no-confidence motion could be proposed with the support of 30 MPs (now it’s 50). However, the first two Lok Sabhas didn’t see any such motion being presented.

In 1963, during the third Lok Sabha, Acharya J B Kripalani brought forth the first no-confidence motion against the government led by Jawaharlal Nehru. This debate went on for 21 hours and spanned four days, involving 40 MPs. Nehru responded that a no-confidence motion aims to replace the ruling party, but in this case, that wasn’t expected. He welcomed the debate as a periodic test.

Around a year later in 1964, Independent MP N C Chatterjee initiated another no-confidence motion, this time against Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. This motion held the longest debate ever on the topic, lasting 24 hours. Chatterjee stated, “There’s a crisis in every sphere, and I hold this government mainly responsible.”

From 1964 to 1975, the Lok Sabha debated 15 no-confidence motions. Three targeted Shastri, while 12 were against Indira Gandhi. Indira faced three more no-confidence motions between 1981 and 1982, but none successfully toppled a government. CPM MP Jyotirmayi Basu moved no-confidence motions against Indira four times consecutively: in November 1973, May 1974, July 1974, and May 1975.

 The First Govt To Be Dislodged

The first time a government was toppled due to a no-confidence motion was in 1979 when Congress member Y B Chavan moved one against Prime Minister Morarji Desai. After a nine-hour discussion spanning two days, Desai resigned before the vote could take place. Desai faced another no-confidence motion a year prior, in 1978, brought by CM Stephen from the Congress faction led by Indira Gandhi.

Since then, every Prime Minister has successfully faced and defeated no-confidence motions. Rajiv Gandhi encountered one in 1987, which he overcame through a simple voice vote due to his strong majority in the Lok Sabha. P V Narasimha Rao had a couple of close calls during his tenure in the 10th Lok Sabha. The first motion against him was led by Jaswant Singh, which he won by 46 votes. Rao also triumphed over the second motion brought by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In the third instance, Rao defeated a no-confidence motion by 14 votes, although controversy arose as Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MPs were taken to court for accepting bribes to vote against the motion.

Before this, the most recent no-confidence motion occurred in 2018 when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the demand for special category status for his state.

During that year’s Monsoon Session, after a 12-hour debate on July 20, the Modi government successfully defeated the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha by 199 votes. While 126 members supported the motion, 325 MPs rejected it.

The session witnessed charges exchanged between the government and the Opposition, including a dramatic moment when Congress President Rahul Gandhi, following a passionate speech, approached Prime Minister Modi and embraced him.