TDP, YSR Congress to Push for No-Confidence Motion Today, Lok Sabha Stares at 11th Day Washout

New Delhi: The YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party, which snapped ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last week, will pitch for taking up their notices of no-confidence motion when the Lok Sabha meets on Monday amid no signs of a let-up in the deadlock in its proceedings.

YV Subba Reddy of the YSR Congress has written to the Lok Sabha secretariat to put his notice for the motion in the revised list of business for Monday. The TDP has also moved a notice for a no-confidence motion.

Once a no-confidence motion is moved in the Lok Sabha, support of at least 50 members is needed to admit the motion, which is then followed by voting.

When their notices were not taken up last week, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar had argued that they could not be due to the House being not in order, with members of several parties raising slogans in the Well.

With the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the AIADMK, which have often cooperated with the government on its legislative business, protesting over a host of issues, it remains uncertain if order will be restored.

While the first two weeks of the last phase of the Budget Session have been a virtual washout, the government has managed to get some key bills and the Budget passed amid a din through a voice vote without a debate.

The YSR Congress was the first to give a notice last week for a no-trust motion after the Centre made it clear that it would not grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.

Not to be outdone by its main rival in the state, the TDP, a longtime BJP ally, then decided to break its ties over the issue and brought a no-confidence motion of its own.

Both parties have been lobbying with opposition parties for support to their respective notices.

The government has expressed confidence that the notices, even if they are admitted, will be defeated given its strength in the Lok Sabha.

The current strength of the Lok Sabha is 539 and the ruling BJP has 274 members, more than the majority mark of 270, and enjoys the support of several allies. With the 16-member TDP quitting the BJP-led NDA, the ruling alliance strength has reduced.

(With agency inputs)