CPM moves its own notice for no-trust vote against govt

With just eight days to go before the end of the current Parliament session, two Left parties – the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party – served notices on Monday for no-confidence motions against the National Democratic Alliance government, joining the Congress and two Andhra parties in an attempt to corner the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Parliament will resume the budget session on Tuesday after a three-day break. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been paralysed amid protests by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to press their demands for an increase in job quotas in Telangana and the setting up of a board to manage the Cauvery waters.

The CPI(M)’s parliamentary leader P Karunakaran and RSP’s sole MP NK Premachandran filed the no-confidence notices on Tuesday.

“At an informal meeting on Thursday we, some opposition parties decided to give our own notices. If the notices are accepted then the discussions will see important national issues apart from regional issues like problems of Andhra Pradesh,” said Md Salim, the CPI(M)’s Lok Sabha leader.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said his party’s no-confidence notice was an attempt to push the BJP into the psychological battle at a time the ruling side was unsure about the positions of its allies such as the Shiv Sena and the Shiromani Akali Dal.

“The rule is clear that the Lok Sabha speaker has to take up the no-confidence notices before any other business. The BJP may not like it to happen,” he said.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which recently quit the ruling coalition at the Centre, and the YSR Congress party have filed notices of no-confidence motions against the government over the denial of ‘special category’ status for Andhra Pradesh. The Congress gave its notice last week and asked that it be taken up on Tuesday.

Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan has not taken up the notices so far as the “House was not in order” amid continued protests.

While BJP leaders maintain they are ready for discussions on any issue, including the no-confidence motions, the Opposition alleges that the party is tacitly propping up the AIADMK to disrupt parliamentary proceedings.

The AIADMK said on Monday it hoped the Centre would constitute the Cauvery board within the next four days. “We will decide the future course of action if the Union government fails to do so,” Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami said at a function.

The TDP has asked its MPs to be present in Parliament on Tuesday and TRS has asked its lawmakers to not rush to the well of the House, improving the possibilities of a debate. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu also told his MPs in a teleconference call to attend Parliament and insist for a debate.