Despite snowballing differences with its ally BJP, the Shiv Sena is expected to vote in favour of the government when an opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi dispensation would be put to vote on Friday. The debate and voting on the motion will be held in the Lok Sabha on Friday. Responding to question about Shiv Sena’s stand in Friday’s no-trust vote, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said on Wednesday, “The NDA is united and will vote against the motion”.
However, the final decision by the Sena will be taken today, according to reports. Though the BJP-led NDA government is at no risk with a strength of 313 MPs in the 535-member Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena’s stand gains rank in view of the mounting differences between the two parties ever since the BJP emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra in the 2014 general elections.
One News agency also quoted sources saying that Shiv Sena will either be neutral or support the government on the opposition’s no-confidence motion on Friday. The BJP is quite confident of defeating the no-confidence motion hoping of getting the support of as many as 314 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
The list of the 314 MPs, however, does not include Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who is also a BJP MP. The BJP itself has a strength of 274 in the Lok Sabha, a lot more than the majority mark of 268. Allies since the early 1990s, the relations between the BJP and Shiv Sena have been at loggerheads after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when the parties splintered due to disagreements over seat-sharing.
The Sena supported the saffron party in a post-poll alliance then but has now announced to go it alone in the 2019 general elections, despite attempts by the BJP to convince to contest together. The no-confidence motion moved by the Congress-led opposition against the Narendra Modi government would be taken up for debate and voting in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The notices for the motion moved by several opposition parties were accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
