No-Confidence Motion: What is it?
A no-confidence motion, also known as a no-trust motion, is a parliamentary procedure used in India to test the majority of the ruling government in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. It can only be moved by a member of the Lok Sabha who believes that the current government does not have enough support or a majority to continue in power.
Current Scenario: INDIA’s No-Confidence Motion Against Modi Government
The newly formed alliance of opposition parties called INDIA has initiated a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in response to the Manipur violence. Gaurav Gogoi, a leader from the Congress party, has submitted a notice for this motion.
Rules for No-Confidence Motion
Written Notice: A Lok Sabha member must give written notice of the motion before 10 am, and the Speaker of the House will read it out.
Minimum Support: The motion must be supported by a minimum of 50 members of the Lok Sabha.
Debate Scheduling: The debate on the motion must be scheduled within 10 days from the date it is accepted. If the government fails to prove its majority during the debate, it will have to resign.
Impact on Modi Government
Given the current political landscape, the opposition parties in the Lok Sabha have fewer than 150 members, which makes it unlikely for the no-confidence motion to succeed. The ruling party, having a clear majority, is expected to survive the motion.
History of No-Confidence Motions in Indian Politics
1963: The first two no-confidence motions were moved against Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after India’s defeat in the 1962 war with China. They were brought by Congress leader Acharya Kripalani.
Indira Gandhi’s Tenure: Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi faced the most no-confidence motions, a total of 15, during her tenure. Remarkably, she managed to survive each of the 15 floor tests.
Other Prime Ministers: Other Prime Ministers like Narasimha Rao, Morarji Desai, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Narendra Modi have also faced no-confidence motions at various points.
The outcome of Past No-Confidence Motions
Most no-confidence motions have been defeated, indicating that the ruling governments had enough support to continue governing.
In 1979, Prime Minister Morarji Desai had to resign after facing a successful no-confidence motion.
In 1999, the Vajpayee government lost power after another no-confidence motion.
In 2018, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government survived a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, indicating sufficient support to remain in power.
Conclusion
A no-confidence motion is a parliamentary tool used to assess the majority of the ruling government. In the current scenario, the opposition’s no-confidence motion against the Modi government is not likely to succeed, as the ruling party has a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. However, history has shown that such motions can sometimes lead to significant political developments and may impact the government’s functioning and public perception.