New Delhi: Trinamool Congress` plans for a no-confidence motion against UPA government on FDI and other issues in Lok Sabha on Monday found no takers in the Left parties while BJP kept its cards close to the chest.
The success of Trinamool`s proposed motion depends much on BJP, which is meeting here today to take a call on the issue, and on the stand of Samajwadi Party and BSP, who both appear at the moment not inclined to rock the boat.
"We think it (no-confidence motion) will not very helpful at this stage because it will help the government. Everyone knows the UPA government has the numbers.
"If you fail and the motion is defeated, it will help the government cover up all its wrongdoings and it will help it to claim that has the Parliament mandate," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters here.
CPI National Secretary D Raja virtually echoed Karat`s views and said one has to see whose backing the motion gets and what are the issues.
However, the main opposition BJP, whose support is crucial for Trinamool if the motion has to succeed, refused to declare its strategy today.
At present, the government enjoys the support of about 265 MPs, including 18 of DMK, in a house of 545. With the support of Samajwadi Party (22) and BSP (21), the backing for the ruling coalition goes a little over 300, which is comfortable over the required 273 in Lok Sabha.
BSP and SP together or individually have not shown signs of withdrawing support so far.
"We will take a decision on the issue tomorrow at the meeting of the executive of the BJP Parliamentary Party tomorrow," said party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.
The meeting is taking place tomorrow at LK Advani`s residence at 11 AM. Later, the NDA will also meet in the evening and strategise its plans for cornering the government in the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament starting November 22.
A section of the party, however, feels that the no trust motion looks "premature" as a lot of groundwork is required to garner enough support for it to succeed on the floor of the Lok Sabha.
The BJP feels that if a no trust motion fails on the
floor of Lok Sabha, the government will get a fresh lease of life for another six months and will "legitimise" all its actions, including its recent decisions on bringing crucial economic reforms like FDI.
Ruling Congress said the government will prove majority in Lok Sabha even if a no-confidence motion is brought or any other resolution on FDI in retail issue taken up under a rule entailing voting.
"We are fully confident of numbers and will prove majority on the floor of Lok Sabha when ever any such motion comes. We have more than 272," party spokesperson Sandip Dikshit told reporters.
At the same time, he insisted government has no plan to seek a confidence vote on the issue as it had done during the UPA I on the issue of Indo-US nuclear deal in 2008 when Left parties had withdrawn support from it.
Dikshit said 54 MPs are required to sign any proposal to bring a no-confidence motion and indicated that Banerjee, whose party has only 19 members ion Lok Sabha, may not find support among parties for her move to bring the no-confidence motion.
While Dikshit, who spoke from the party podium refrained from attacking Banerjee, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari, speaking separately, took a dig at her saying that never in the history of Parliament a party with 19 members has pushed for such an action.
Trinamool sought to attack CPI(M) for its opposition to their move saying this will mean that Left opposition to FDI in multi-brand retail "is false and sham" while voicing hope that all parties would come on board.
"If the CPI(M) does not support our motion, it will mean that its opposition to FDI in multi-brand retail is false and sham," senior TMC leader Sougata Roy said.
"This will be a clear delineation among political parties on a specific issue," Roy said, adding the matter concerned crores of people and was not a communal or a secular issue.
PTI
