Will they, won’t they: AIADMK, BJD, TRS keep their cards close to chest ahead of no-confidence vote

Sources disclosed that left to themselves, people belonging to the 37-strong AIADMK group were inclined to take a neutral stand and abstain during voting. They could do so by either staging a walkout before the head count, or stay put in the House and not cast their votes.

Explained: The story of no-confidence

However, a senior party member in Lok Sabha said the final call had to be taken by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami or his deputy O Panneerselvam. Both of them, according to the sources, were under pressure from the BJP to vote against the Opposition motion.

An agency report from Salem was indicative of what could happen. Palaniswami said the motion had been moved by the TDP over an issue concerning Andhra Pradesh.

No party, according to him, had backed Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue when AIADMK lawmakers stalled Lok Sabha for nearly three weeks seeking constitution of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee.

Also read | No-trust debate today, Govt holds back RTI changes Bill

DMK working president M K Stalin, on the other hand, called upon the AIADMK to support the no-confidence motion, saying the move was expected to be a “turning point” in Parliamentary democracy.

BJD floor leader Bhartruhari Mahtab told The Indian Express that his party will open its cards only in the House on Friday.

The party plans to flag important Odisha issues like the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh, the controversial Polavaram project and its long-standing demand for a special category status during the discussion.

The party has no intention to go with the Congress-led Opposition, but at the same time, it is determined to keep its distance from the BJP too. Since both parties are strongly opposed to the BJD in Odisha, the party did not want to appear soft towards either of them, more so when Assembly elections are due in less than a year. The sources disclosed that the BJD could walk out of the House after criticising the Narendra Modi government.

The party had 20 members in Lok Sabha, but its strength dropped to 19 following the resignation of Baijayant Panda. As a balancing act of sorts, the BJD had supported BJP presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, but had voted against M Venkaiah Naidu of the ruling party in the election for the vice-presidency.

The 11-member TRS, the sources said, was in touch with the BJD and was likely to take the same stand as the Odisha party. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has maintained cordial relations with the central government, but at the same time pursued a clutch of pro-Muslim schemes to maintain a safe distance from the BJP.

The sources indicated that the TRS could raise some state issues, criticise the Centre a bit, but stop short of voting against the government.