No-confidence motion: TMC issues whip to MPs

On the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has issued a whip to its MPs asking them to be present on Friday to discuss and vote for a no-confidence motion against the Centre.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also issued a three-line whip on no-confidence motion and asked its allies in NDA to issue whip also.

TMC leader Derek O' Brien said that they have issued a whip to all 34 members of TMC. "We have decided that we will send all 34 TMC Lok Sabha MPs on a whip to be present for discussion and voting of no-confidence motion in the Parliament on Friday," said O'Brien.

Despite Friday being a Martyrs day, the TMC will be sending its members. Dinesh Trivedi, another TMC leader said "21st of July is a very important day for TMC. We observe it as a martyrs day for 14 youth TMC workers who were killed. All 34 MPs of TMC are therefore busy."

However, "No-confidence motion is a very important aspect of Parliament. We had requested the speaker and government to change the date. We even protested but couldn't convince them. So, all MPs have been asked to come to Delhi," Trivedi added.

Earlier today, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that on Friday the discussion on the matter will be followed by voting on the issue of the Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) no-confidence motion against the Centre over the Andhra Pradesh special status row.

"The House will take up the debate (on the motion) on Friday, July 20. The discussion will be held for the full day, followed by voting on it," said Mahajan.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday announced that all opposition parties have come to a consensus to move the Vote of No Confidence Motion in the monsoon session.

On Sunday TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu wrote letters to non-BJP, non-Congress parties' presidents and parliamentary party leaders seeking support on a no-confidence motion against the Centre over the demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh.