Senior BJP leaders are already in touch with several parties and many MPs are believed to have promised to vote against the motion.
New Delhi: The BJP will use Friday’s no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha to expose, what it calls, “cracks” in the opposition unity against the Modi government, ThePrint has learnt.
Leaders of the ruling party have reached out to several MPs in opposition parties such as the Telugu Desam Party, Biju Janata Dal, AIADMK, Trinamool Congress among others to understand their mood.
While the Modi government is comfortably placed in terms of numbers in the Lok Sabha, BJP leaders are hopeful this move will create a rift in the opposition and help shore up the NDA numbers in the House.
According to sources, senior BJP leaders are already in touch with several parties and many MPs are believed to have promised their support to the BJP and are likely to vote against the motion or will abstain from Friday’s voting.
The AIADMK has decided to abstain from voting, and one TDP MP — J.C. Diwakar — has decided to go against the whip issued by his party. He has decided to abstain from voting as well.
The Shiv Sena has also decided to support the “government’s stand” as written in the whip issued to party MPs.
The sources further said that BJP is using the dissidents in other parties to expose the cracks within the united opposition. Many MPs who are unhappy with their respective party leaders could, in fact, vote against the motion defying their party whips, the sources indicated.
“The Congress has made a self-goal and if they persist on voting on the motion, PM Modi, through his speech, will tear the opposition apart,” said a senior party leader.
The sources said the pressure on the top leadership, which devised the strategy, was palpable.
“There was so much pressure on the top leadership…although we have the numbers, it was more about ensuring that everything goes right and how to change the narrative from no-confidence motion to break the opposition unity,” the leader added.
Numbers game
The BJP has 273 members, excluding the Speaker, in the 544-member House.
AIADMK has 37 members and it has decided to abstain from voting. TDP MP J.C. Diwakar has said he will not participate in the voting.
The BJD has 20 members whereas Shiv Sena has 18 MPs.
“We have the numbers…Our leader Ananth Kumar has already said that Sonia Gandhi’s math is weak,” said a senior BJP leader.