Congress listed Rahul Gandhi as first speaker in no-trust debate, but he declined

Congress’s floor managers then conveyed to Speaker Om Birla through the marshal that Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi, who gave the notice for the no-confidence motion, would initiate the debate.

Congress MPs gave different reasons for Rahul’s surprise decision. Inside the House, Treasury Benches taunted the Congress. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi asked why Gandhi’s name as lead speaker was withdrawn at the last minute.

Gogoi responded by asking whether the Opposition asks the Treasury Benches to reveal what happens in meetings between the Prime Minister and the Speaker. This provoked the Treasury Benches and led Union Ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah, to protest. “It is a serious charge,” Shah said.

Birla then warned Gogoi that he should not make remarks “that do not have fact and truth”. Gogoi explained he was trying to say what transpires in the chamber of the Speaker should not be spoken of outside.

“But it was known to everyone,” Joshi said, referring to the confusion in the Congress over who would initiate the debate. Nishikant Dubey, the BJP’s first speaker, said he was expecting Gandhi to speak but it seems he was not prepared and perhaps he had woken up late.

Congress MPs appeared clueless, with each one giving their own explanation and reason. “He perhaps felt Gogoi should initiate the debate as he is from the Northeast and he had visited Manipur. Besides, he is the person who had given the notice and he was always going to open the discussion. Rahul’s return to the Lok Sabha came only yesterday,” said one MP.

Another claimed Gandhi decided not to speak first as Prime Minister Modi was not present in the House. One MP said he was feeling “uncomfortable”.

Another MP claimed that the Congress wanted to surprise the government. He said the party had given his name as a ploy. “We knew the government would get to know and the Treasury Benches would be out in full force to derail him. When we decided at the last minute that Gogoi will initiate the debate..they were taken aback,” the parliamentarian said, trying to paint it as a tactical decision.

Gogoi anyway was prepared to open the debate and did it without any difficulty. There is no rule which stipulates that the mover of the motion should speak first. It is the party’s prerogative to field the speakers in order of its preference.

According to “Practice and Procedure of Parliament” by M N Kaul and S L Shakdher, “ordinarily, the member who has been granted leave of the House moves the motion of no-confidence and initiates the discussion. However, the Chair may permit such member merely to move the motion without making a speech and allow another member of his party to open the debate.”