The Shiv Sena party decided to boycott the Parliament today. Just yesterday the party stated it would support the BJP and vote against the No Confidence motion. However today the party MPs decided to not attend the session. They did not sign the attendance register either.
Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul confirmed the party was boycotting the vote for the No Confidence motion. He said, “We are boycotting Parliamentary work today and we have not even signed our attendance.”
The Shiv Sena went as far as sending a whip to its MPs yesterday directing them to vote against the motion but changed their mind a day later.
During the first day of the Monsoon Parliament Session, the No Confidence motion was accepted by the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. This was the first time in 15 years the No Confidence motion which was raised by Congress and Telugu Desam Party was accepted by the speaker.
Speaker Mahajan said the notice moved by TDP and Congress will be taken up on Friday. About 50 opposition lawmakers stood in support of the No Confidence motion. The Speaker will have a discussion on the No Confidence motion on Friday.
The Congress and other opposition parties have stated it is the debate not the voting. The parties will get an opportunity to make their case against the Government from a much viewed platform. The numbers speak and BJP alone has more than majority in the Lok Sabha.
The BJP lawmakers in the lower House will lose their seat if they vote against their party making BJP’s win assured. The opposition hopes to use this opportunity to expose the Government. They hope to turn the tables in the upcoming 2019 elections with this debate.
