Will it or won't it? Sena keeps BJP on tenterhooks ahead of no-trust vote

July 20, 2018 08:06

As the BJP prepares for its big test in Parliament today, its ally -- the Shiv Sena seems to remain non-committal about its support.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked his party MPs to remain in Delhi, but the final decision as to whether the party will support the Modi government against the Opposition's no-confidence motion will be taken this morning, a Sena functionary said.

Earlier in the day, a whip issued by the Sena had asked all MPs to support the NDA government.

"Uddhav-ji has asked all party MPs to be present in Delhi tomorrow and they will be told by the Sena president about the party's decision by morning," Harshal Pradhan, a close confidant of Uddhav Thackeray, said.

When contacted, Sena's chief whip in the Lok Sabha Chandrakant Khaire said that the earlier "notice" (whip) issued to the party MPs had said they must remain present in Parliament all day long.

"All party MPs were told that the final decision will be taken by Uddhav-ji and be conveyed to them," Khaire said.

A Sena source said the earlier whip was issued "by mistake", and it has been recalled.

A source said 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.

The no-trust motion will be the first since the BJP-led NDA government came to power four years ago. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's decision to accept the motion moved by former BJP ally TDP and others came on the first day of the Monsoon session.

The Shiv Sena has 18 Lok Sabha MPs.

The TDP had hoped that the Sena would support its motion and had sent feelers to the Sena.

The TDP had even claimed that on the day of voting not just the Sena, but even disgruntled MPs from BJP and other National Democratic Alliance would support the no-trust motion.

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