August 8, 2023
New Delhi: The stage is set for a heated political showdown as the Lok Sabha gears up for a no-confidence motion debate against the Narendra Modi government. In a remarkable turn of events, Rahul Gandhi, the reinstated Member of Parliament (MP) from the Congress party, is all set to lead the debate, three days after the Supreme Court suspended his criminal defamation conviction in the Modi’s surname case.
Gandhi, who was reinstated as a Lok Sabha MP on Monday, is anticipated to kick-start the no-confidence motion debate on Tuesday. A prominent critic of Modi and a key contender in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi’s return to the parliamentary forefront has captured the nation’s attention.
Sources indicate that besides Rahul Gandhi, his party colleagues Gaurav Gogoi and Manish Tewari will also take the podium to address the Lok Sabha during the debate. Gandhi’s reentry into parliamentary discussions marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing political discourse.
Gandhi’s last address in the Lok Sabha was on February 7, 2023, during the debate on the President’s speech. Commenting on his forthcoming contribution, Gaurav Gogoi mentioned, “We look forward to what Rahul Gandhi has to say. He has visited Manipur and in the meantime, he has met with cross sections of Indian society. He knows the state of the economy and the ground situation in Manipur. So, he has a very valuable perspective which we all look forward to hearing.”
The discussion on the no-confidence motion is scheduled to commence on Tuesday, with a total time allocation of 12 hours for the debate. According to sources, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been allotted approximately 6 hours and 41 minutes, while the Congress party is granted about one hour and 15 minutes for their contribution. Other parties, including Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Shivsena, Janata Dal-United (JDU), Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), will share a total of 2 hours based on their representation in the house. Smaller parties and independent MPs have a combined time limit of 1 hour 10 minutes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to respond to the debate on August 10
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to respond to the debate on August 10, addressing the concerns raised during the no-confidence motion discussion, particularly those presented by Gaurav Gogoi regarding the ongoing violence in Manipur and the Opposition’s call for a statement from the prime minister.
The no-confidence motion was tabled by the opposition parties of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc and was accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla last week. In anticipation of the debate, the Bharatiya Janata Party has convened a meeting of its parliamentary party on Tuesday to strategize and align its members’ positions on the impending discussion.
As the nation awaits this significant parliamentary debate, all eyes are on Rahul Gandhi, whose return to the forefront of political discourse is expected to infuse fresh energy into the ongoing deliberations in the Lok Sabha.