Fernandes Agrees To Keep No-Trust Move In Abeyance

Leaders of the BJP yesterday persuaded Samata Party President George Fernandes to hold his no confidence motion in abeyance, probably until after the mid-session recess, which is to end on April 20. Fernandes was loathe to allow his motion to lapse, but agreed to the BJPs compromise proposal that it be left pending.

Speaker PA Sangma agreed to their request, made in his chamber, to keep it pending. Fernandes had to go along with the BJP since a no confidence motion has to have the support of at least 50 members before it can be moved.

Sangma was in a mood to take up the motion yesterday but Fernandes would certainly have failed to move it without support from the BJP. All BJP members were yesterday in UP to highlight lawlessness there. The BJP and allies Samata, Shiv Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal and Haryana Vikas Party have a strength of 194 members in the Lok Sabha and the BJP alone has a strength of 163. Fernandes gave the notice without consulting BJP leaders.The BJP, which has announced its intention to nail the government at the first available opportunity, differed with Fernandes about the timing of the motion.

The partys deputy Lok Sabha leader Jaswant Singh said the BJP wants to use the weapon of no-confidence at the most opportune time.

Fernandes and Singh concluded that preserving the no-confidence motion notice would be yeild more politically than the BJP moving a fresh notice. Fernandes motion could prove more acceptabale to other political parties, particularly the Congress, than one moved by the BJP, a BJP leader remarked.

Fernandes denied reports about his partys differences with the BJP and declared that his intention was to vote out the government on the floor of the house. His pre-occuptation with the Bombay municipal elections kept him too busy to consult BJP leaders on the issue, he clarified.

The Speaker was kind enough to say he would hold the notice and discuss it after the budget is presented, Fernandes said. The Speaker was ready to take up the notice yesterday or on Monday but the BJP is determined to concentrate on lawlessness in UP on Monday.

Fernandes said deferring the notice would not dilute our attack on the government. There would be many occasions for opposition parties to seek a division on the governments policy proposals in the general budget and defeat the government on the floor of the house, he pointed out.