The Congress party has moved a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led government, citing an impasse in parliament over the ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur. The violence in Manipur has caused a continuous logjam in both the Houses of Parliament since the Monsoon Session began on July 20. Additionally, a separate no-confidence motion has been filed by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which is not part of the ‘I.N.D.I.A’ coalition.
For the no-confidence motion to be held, it requires the backing of at least 50 members in the house. While the Congress motion is expected to garner the necessary support, the BRS has only 9 seats in the Lok Sabha.
The ruling NDA currently holds a strength of 331 out of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, while the Opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance has 144 members.
Although the opposition parties do not have enough numbers to win a floor test, they aim to gain a perceived advantage by cornering the government on the Manipur issue during the debate. Their strategy also includes urging the prime minister to speak in Parliament on this crucial matter, while the government has stated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will reply to the debate on the Manipur situation.
Protests and sloganeering by opposition members have led to repeated adjournments of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha since the start of the monsoon session.
While the government is open to discussions on the Manipur issue, the opposition parties are insisting on having a discussion under a rule that involves voting.
