NEW DELHI: In an attempt to force PM Modi to speak on the Manipur strife that has brought the monsoon session to a standstill, opposition parties of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc on Tuesday decided to move a no-confidence motion against the BJP government, with focus on the northeastern state, reports Mohua Chatterjee.

Late Tuesday night, Congress leader in LS Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury announced, “Opposition parties will bring a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha against the government on Wednesday.” Over 50 LS members from various opposition parties are likely to submit their notice of “no-confidence” against the government on Wednesday morning, it is learnt. Sources said the opposition parties will meet early on Wednesday morning to finalise the draft. Late on Tuesday evening, Congress whip in LS, Manickam Tagore, tweeted the procedure for moving a no-confidence motion, reinforcing the possibility. The party also issued a three-line whip. Sonia Gandhi will chair a meeting of Congress MPs on Wednesday.
Since the notice for no-confidence has to be submitted before 10 am, it is possible that the process may get spilled over to Thursday.

Idea behind opposition’s no-trust move is to compel PM to speak on Manipur
The Speaker, after a headcount of MPs, will have to decide a date within 10 days of the submission of the notices for the debate under Rule 198, where the government has to defend itself.
Since the notice for no-confidence has to be submitted before 10am, it is possible that the process may get spilled over to Thursday. If the opposition parties go ahead, it will be the first no-confidence motion against the Modi government in its second term. It had brought one against the regime in its first term on July 20, 2018.
While opposition leaders are aware that the no-confidence motion will not to be defeated on the floor of Lok Sabha as the numbers are stacked heavily in favour of the ruling BJP-led NDA, the idea behind pushing it is to have the debate, so that the PM is forced to speak on the issue.
The option of no-confidence motion was discussed at a meeting of INDIA on Tuesday morning. Sources said it was put on the table by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. There was near unanimity that it was an effective way to compel the government and the PM to respond on Manipur, sources said. At the discussion, Trinamool Congress sought 24 hours to get back with a definitive reply, even though it was agreeable to the initiative.
It was also decided that the opposition strategy to corner the government on Manipur in Rajya Sabha by pressing for a discussion under Rule 267, which entails adjournment of all other proceedings, will also continue, sources said.
Opposition parties have refused to dilute their demand for a debate on Manipur in both Houses, and that it should be initiated with a statement from the PM. An opposition leader said that “these two demands are non-negotiable”.
Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said, “I am not aware of their (opposition) move, but if they are doing it, they should know that the last time they brought a no-confidence motion, BJP came back to power with a stronger majority of over 300 seats and the same will happen again.”
Lok Sabha currently has a strength of 543 seats, of which five are vacant. NDA has over 330 members, members of the INDIA group have over 140, while over 60 members belong to parties not aligned with any of the two blocs.