No-Confidence Motion LIVE: TDP Alleges Telangana Given Preference, TRS MPs Protest

What Angered TRS in Lok Sabha | As Telugu Desam Party (TDP)'s Jayadev Galla alleges that Andhra Pradesh was preferred Telangana during bifurcation of state, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) jumped into the well to protest.

'A Few Richters Down from Quake': BJP | As Biju Janata Dal (BJD) walks out of the Lok Sabha during motion of no confidence, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra says a few 'Richters' down from the earthquake that the Opposition wanted through their no-trust vote.

BJD walks out!
Few “Richters” down from #BhookampAaneWalaHai

— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) July 20, 2018

TDP Moves Motion of No Confidence | Telugu Desam Party (TDP) moves motion against the Modi government. Guntur MP Galla Jayadev says it is a war against the injustice meted out to the people of Andhra Pradesh. He says, "It is not a war between TDP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but between morality and majority. Motion of no confidence is against the lack of fairness, lack of trust, lack of unbiased approach towards Andhra Pradesh."

BJD Stages Walkout, Cong Asks for More Time | Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has staged a walkout as the Lok Sabha is in session for the motion of no confidence. Earlier, veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of allotment of time. He requested to remove the time restrictions. However, speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that time is in God's hand and we cannot change it. "As humans, we have to abide by time," she said.

Ahead of Motion of No Confidence RPN Singh Slams Modi Govt | Slamming the Narendra Modi government after rupee collapsed to a life-time low, Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said that it is another achievement of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

Another ‘achievement ‘ of the Modi govt. Rupee at all time low, no wonder there’s #NoConfidence https://t.co/A0zBDGVhL6

— RPN Singh (@SinghRPN) July 20, 2018

Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its former ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for wasting a "great opportunity" to help the people of Andhra Pradesh and then misusing public's money and time for "political theatrics".

BJP & TDP had wasted a great opportunity given to them by people of AP. They could have truly stood by people instead of this political theatrics,which is causing great deal of public’s valuable time ,money & agony.

— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) July 20, 2018

PM Narendra Modi Holding Meeting in Parliament | Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting senior leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) inside Parliament ahead of motion of no confidence in Lok Sabha today.

Shiv Sena to Abstain from Voting During Motion of No Confidence | Shiv Sena has decided to abstain from voting during no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha today. Earlier in the day, Sanjay Raut had said that they will hold a meeting around 10 to decided whether to support the Modi government or not. A Sena source said that the whip issued a day earlier was "by mistake", and it has been recalled. The whip issued by Sena's chief whip in the Lok Sabha Chandrakant Khaire had said that all members of the party in the Lok Sabha should remain present in the House when the no-trust motion is taken up for discussion tomorrow, and "support the government's stand". But now Uddhav Thackeray's party has decided to abstain from voting.

'Kya Hua Tera Vaada?': Cong Asks Modi Govt | Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera asked the Narendra Modi government about their unfulfilled promises. Khera used the popular song of 1977 hit Bollywood movie 'Hum Kisise Kum Naheen' to use as a hashtag, reminding government of their promises on Rafale, petrol and diesel. He tweeted, "Kya hua tera vaada?"

'एक सर के बदले दस सर'; 'दो करोड़ नौकरियाँ'; 'काला धन'; 'न्यूनतम समर्थन मूल्य + 50%'; 'राफ़ेल की क़ीमत'; 'पेट्रोल/डीज़ल की क़ीमतें'; 'महिला सुरक्षा'; 'सबका साथ, सबका विकास'..... #KyaHuaTeraVaada

— Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) July 20, 2018

'Motion to Whip the Government Publicly Over Its Sins' | Despite claiming that the BJP has back-stabbed its allies, the Shiv Sena said the NDA government at the Centre has the numbers to ride out the no-confidence motion storm in the Parliament. In a scathing editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana on Friday, the Shiv Sena said that the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has failed the country. “The BJP has the numbers. The motion is not for bringing down the government. It is to whip the government publicly over its sins. In fact, there are question marks over the way this government has won the majority. The party in question shouldn't sing songs of majority. Immense money power, muscle power and manipulation of EVMs is the three-point secret of their success. What exists in the country today is fake democracy.”

The government is in a self-congratulatory mode for accepting the no-confidence motion. But this was done due to compulsions, Shiv Sena said in an editorial in Saamana.

What Happens If a Member of Parliament Disobeys Whip | The speaker of Lok Sabha is the Custodian/Guardian of proceedings in the House. The speaker is empowered with powers for withdrawal and suspension of members under Rule 373, 374 and 374 A of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha in case of where any member is in Gross or Grave disorder. That such withdrawal/suspension can be subject matter of further enquiry and in case WHIP is disobeyed or not followed by the concerned member of the political party, it shall lead to disqualification of said erring member and such disqualification will lead to barring the disqualified member from contesting any future election.

As Sitaram Yechury Blames PM Narendra Modi for Falling 'Economic Parameters' of India, Rupee Collapses to Life-time Low | Ahead of motion of no confidence, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his "men were making merry and trying to make every issue about "religion and community", country was "suffering grievously". He said that not just the rupee, every single economic parameter has gone down in past four years. Meanwhile, the rupee today collapsed to a life-time low of 69.12 against the US dollar after the Chinese central bank weakened its daily reference rate for the yuan by the most in two years.

Rajnath Singh Among 4 to Speak on Behalf of Govt During No-Confidence Motion | Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Rakesh Singh, Virendra Singh Mast and Arjun Ram Meghwal  will speak on behalf of Narendra Modi government on no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha today. COMMENT: Fielding Rajnath deputy to Prime Minister Modi in Lok Sabha and Cabinet will underscore larger collision in the party and government. — Sumit Pande, Political Editor of News18.com

How Many Motions of No Confidence Have Been Passed So Far | Over all, 26 no-confidence motions (or Avishwas Prastav as popularly known in Hindi) have been moved in the past. Of these, 25 have been unsuccessful, and one did not get to the voting stage as Morarji Desai resigned as prime minister. The first ever no-confidence motion was faced by Jawaharlal Nehru after the India-China War in 1963. The last prime minister to face a no-confidence motion was Vajpayee in 2003. That motion was moved by Sonia Gandhi. The one today is thus the first no-confidence motion in 15 years and also a first for the Narendra Modi government.

Modi Government All Set For It's First 'Avishwas Prastav' | As Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP-led government is ready to face its first no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, the House is ready for an intense debate. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will puts out the question in front of the House and the House's decision can be put across through a "voice vote" or "division of votes". If the motion is accepted by a majority, then the ruling government will have to resign. This is how motion of no confidence, or as popularly known in Hindi 'Avishwas Prastav', works. The BJP-led coalition counts 312 members in the 535-member Lok Sabha, including 274 of the BJP. The government needs 268 to clear the test and it has enough numbers to sail through the motion.

Rahul Gandhi is Likely to be First Cong Speaker | Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to be the first Congress speaker at 11:30 am in the Lok Sabha. Congress, the main opposition party, has been allocated 38 minutes to present its views on the motion. Along with Gandhi, leader of the party in the House, Mallikarjun Kharge, will also speak during no-confidence motion.

'Bhukump Ke Mazze Lene Ke Liye Taiyyar Ho Jaayein' | Hours before no-confidence motion, Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh tweeted saying that be ready for an earthquake. It was apparently a veiled warning for Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who along with other Opposition parties will challenge the Narendra Modi government to prove their majority in the Parliament. BJP's social media incharge Amit Malviya also posted a quiz on 'earthquake in Parliament' on Twitter.

भूकंप के मज़े लेने के लिए तैयार हो जाइए ।

— Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) July 20, 2018

COMMENT | Interesting line up by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for trust vote. Two from state going to the polls Rakesh Singh from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, the former Bureucrat now an MP from Rajasthan. Two critical areas where government had faced opposition scrutiny, Dalit atrocities and farmer issues. — Sumit Pande, Political Editor of News18.com

Why Neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh are Concerned About Motion of No Confidence | Neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh are also watching the action in Parliament keenly. Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and other parties of Telangana are concerned about Andhra Pradesh Special Status as it will affect their state as well, for instance, some industries could be shifted there. Hence, they are directly not supporting the special status. Meanwhile, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan tweeted, saying that he supports the Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh.

I join the people of Andhra Pradesh in urging the BJP led Govt.of India to respond positively for the SCS. No greater Platform than Parliament to understand and empathise with this Right of ours. Please deliver Justice

— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) July 20, 2018

BJP’s anger on TDP leadership shouldn’t be the reason to deny SCS to the people of AP.

— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) July 20, 2018

PM Modi, BJP Ministers to Meet at 10:50 am | While Shiv Sena is set to meet around 10 am to decide whether to support PM Modi-led National Democratic Alliance in the Parliament or not, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his senior ministers are scheduled to meet around 10:50 am to discuss their plan of action.

RECAP: Sonia Gandhi's Maths is Weak, Ananth Kumar Says Ahead of Trust Vote in Parliament | A day ahead of no-confidence motion, parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar taunted the Opposition on its claim of numbers. “Soniaji’s math is weak. They [Congress] had calculated similarly in 1996. We know what happened then. The Modi government has the majority both inside and outside Parliament,” he said.

'People First, our Motto; Expose Modi Government': Chandrababu Naidu to MPs | TDP President and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said to his MPs, "Today’s no-confidence motion is a result of relentless agitation of Telugu Desam Party. Strongly voice the issues of five crore people of Andhra Pradesh. Expose the opportunistic politics. Who is with BJP and who isn’t will be exposed. Five crore people’s interests is important. ‘People First’ is our motto. Expose the Centre’s discrimination against Andhra Pradesh.

Jaydev Galla to Take TDP's Charge During No-Confidence Motion | Telugu Desam Party's national spokesperson Lanka Dinakaran said, "Today is an important day for democracy. It the time for entire nation to know the truth. We are expecting truth from the mouth of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his colleagues." TDP leader and Guntur MP Jaydev Galla will initiate party's debate in the Parliament on no-confidence motion.

Amit Malviya's Quiz | Ahead of the no-confidence motion, BJP social media in-charge Amit Malviya took a dig at Congress and Rahul Gandhi in a sarcastic tweet. He posted a tweet asking if an earthquake occurs in 15 minutes, how many earthquakes will occur in 38 minutes — in a reference to the minutes given to the ruling party and Opposition during trust vote.

आज का सवाल : अगर 15 मिनट में एक बार भूकंप आता है तो, 38 मिनट में भूकंप कितनी बार आएगा ? #BhookampAaneWalaHai

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 20, 2018

Why Telugu Desam Party Moved No-Confidence Motion Against Modi Government | Since Day 1 of the Monsoon Session of Parliament shadow of 'no-confidence motion' was looming large over the ruling National Democratic Alliance government as the Telugu Desam Party had sought the support of opposition parties for it. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu had written to various parties and sought their support for the no-confidence motion his party seeks to move in Parliament against the government over the "injustice" meted out to Andhra Pradesh due to non-fulfilment of promise of granting special status to the state. Naidu said in view of the continued "adamant attitude of the BJP-led NDA government, the TDP has decided to move no-confidence motion against the Modi government again in the ensuing Monsoon Session of Parliament". "I shall be thankful for your support in further carrying forward with the motion of no-confidence moved by our MPs. I sincerely seek your cooperation in this regard," the Andhra Pradesh chief minister wrote to them. He alleged that the no-confidence motion moved by the Telugu Desam Party against the Modi government in March was "not taken up deliberately".

People of India Living in Fear, Says Congress Ahead of Motion of No Confidence | Congress leader Anand Sharma alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government "believe in propaganda" and are unaware of the problems confronting the country and its people. "The prime minister is at best a demagogue and believes in hypocrisy," he alleged. "The larger issue is that the country is in agony and the people are suffering. The image of the country has been tarnished internationally," he alleged, saying the Congress and other opposition parties will demand accountability from the prime minister and his government. Sharma said the Congress as well as other opposition parties had made it clear to the government that they wanted Parliament to function so that they could demand answerability and accountability of the government on various issues. He claimed that people in the country were "living in fear and the rule of law was not being enforced as people were being killed and beaten up for airing their views. They were also being targeted for choice of food and clothing and the atmosphere was vitiated". "The government has betrayed the people of the country and is deceiving the people on issues of governance," he alleged.

Motion of No Confidence to 'Expose' Narendra Modi Government | The Congress on Thursday said that Friday's 'no-confidence motion' was more than a show of numbers and it will use the occasion to "expose" the government's "failure". Addressing a press conference, Congress' senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said his party has the support of other opposition parties on the no-confidence motion which has been brought "to show the mirror to the government", highlight the various issues concerning the people of the country and ensure that the truth reaches them. "It is not only a question of numbers. We will use the occasion to expose the government and raise various issues concerning the people of the country and tell the truth to the people. This is the launch of a campaign which will send them packing in 2019 Lok Sabha elections," he told reporters.

Why Shiv Sena 'Withdrew' the Whip a Day Earlier | A day earlier, a whip issued by the Sena had asked all Members of Parliament (MPs) to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. A Sena source said the earlier whip was issued "by mistake", and it has been recalled. The whip issued by Sena's chief whip in the Lok Sabha Chandrakant Khaire  earlier had said that all members of the party in the Lok Sabha should remain present in the House when the motion of no confidence is taken up for discussion on Friday and "support the government's stand". The Sena source said there was a change of mind after the party learnt that the BJP, in a bid to woo Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna's Lok Sabha MP Raju Shetti, assured him of considering his demand to increase the milk procurement price in Maharashtra, even when Shetti has been harshly critical of the NDA and the BJP. The source added that the Sena felt that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government is walking on thin ice in terms of numbers to cross the majority mark of 273 in the Lok Sabha.

Shiv Sena to Hold Meeting at 11 am to Decide Whether to Support Modi Government in the Parliament or Not | After Shiv Sena said that the final decision as to whether the party will support the Narendra Modi government against the Opposition's no confidence motion will be taken on Friday, spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that their discussions will begin at 11 am. "Nation is concerned about the stand of Shiv Sena. Our party will make the right decision. Between 10:30 -11:00 am, party chief will himself tell the party about his decision," he said.

Discussions will start at 11 am today. Nation is concerned about the stand of Shiv Sena. Our party will make the right decision. Between 10:30 -11:00 am, party chief will himself tell the party about his decision: Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena. #NoConfidenceMotion pic.twitter.com/ykh4D2PN19

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018