Sonia Gandhi's maths is weak, says Centre; exudes confidence of winning trust vote

NEW DELHI: While United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that the Opposition-backed no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government will be accepted with a voice vote, the government has brushed aside the possibility. "

Claiming that they have the required numbers, Union Minister Ananth Kumar said, "Sonia ji's maths is weak. They had calculated similarly in 1996. We know what happened then. Their calculation is wrong yet again. Modi government has the majority both inside and outside Parliament. NDA will vote against No Confidence Motion. NDA+ will also support us."

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday accepted a no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition against the Modi government. Mahajan said she had received notices from at least six MPs seeking no trust vote against the Narendra Modi government and was duty-bound to put it to the consideration of the House.

Members from the Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and the National Congress Party (NCP) among others moved no-confidence motion notices but the Speaker said that TDP's Kesineni Srinivas would move his motion as his party was the first to raise it.

Mahajan had not accepted notices for a similar motion during the Budget Session, which was washed out due to the continued uproar by TDP, TRS and some Opposition parties demanding that government agree to the motion.

While Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge demanded that the largest party be allowed to move the motion, Mahajan said that as per rules, the party which raises the motion first, gets to move it. "It's not a question of big party, small party... Those who brought the no-confidence motion, I read all the rules. The person who first brought the motion, has to be called first," Mahajan said.

Exuding confidence of having the numbers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that the government is prepared to face the no-confidence motion brought in by several parties. "The entire country has confidence on Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

Grant of special status to Andhra Pradesh, lynchings, atrocities against women and dalits and dilution of a law meant for Scheduled Caste are among the issues on which the opposition parties have brought in the no-confidence motion against the government.