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Amid bid to oust Jagdeep Dhankhar, non-NDA, non-INDIA bloc parties non-committal

While BRS says will seek leader KCR’s advice if someone from INDIA bloc approaches, YSRCP rules out involvement, BJD says “examining” the matter.

The BRS and BJD, among other non-INDIA parties, remained non-committal about their stand on the motion. (Photo: FB/ File photo)

The parties neither aligned with the NDA nor the INDIA bloc of Opposition parties on Tuesday decided to remain at an arm’s length from the notice that the INDIA alliance has submitted to move a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Speaking to The Indian Express, parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) remained non-committal about their stand on the motion if the notice is accepted and the motion is moved. The BRS said it would discuss the matter with the leadership if someone from the INDIA bloc approached it.

The INDIA bloc has 85 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, way short of the current halfway mark of 116. The alliance can additionally count on the support of Independent MP Kapil Sibal. The NDA, in contrast, has 113 MPs and can count on the support of six nominated members, who usually cast their vote with the government, and two Independents. The YSRCP, BJD, and BRS together have 19 MPs,

Former Odisha CM and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, whose party has 7 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, did not clarify if the BJD would support the motion if it was brought to the House. ”We are examining it. We will take whatever step is necessary,” the BJD president told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

BJD leader Sasmit Patra said, “This (no-trust motion) is an INDIA-led initiative. The BJD is not an INDIA party. Therefore, it doesn’t refer to us”.

Asked if the party shares the same concerns about Dhankhar as the Opposition alliance, Patra said, “This concern has been brought up by INDIA parties. We are not party to it.”

YSRCP, which has 8 MPs in the Upper House of Parliament, said it would not like to get “involved” in this. “We maintain a cordial relationship with the Chairman,” said YSRCP MP Mithun Reddy.

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The BRS said the party had attempted to bring both the Opposition and the ruling alliance on the same page. “We tried to help the Chairperson in bringing both the sides on the same page so that the House can run. As far as impeachment is concerned, we have not been approached by any party to sign any petition. Neither were we informed formally or informally (about the moving of this motion),” said BRS Rajya Sabha floor leader K R Suresh Reddy.

Asked whether the BRS considers Dhankar impartial, he said, “Running the House is definitely not an easy task. We understand the Chairman’s predicament but, at the same time, we also felt that there should have been more meetings with all the warring groups, facilitated by the government. This would have brought the temperatures down.”

The BRS, however, did not rule out joining the motion. “If someone (from INDIA) approaches us we will put it up for discussion in the party and seek the advice of our leader K Chandrashekar Rao,” said Reddy.