On 27/4/2010 cut motions moved in Lok Sabha by BJP and Left Front failed. BSP, SP and RJD did not vote for the motions. BSP was not part of the group led by Left Front. SP and RJD were part of the group. There was speculation of BSP abstaining on cut motions. It voted for the motion. SP and RJD took Left Front for a ride.
BJP blamed Congress for misuse of CBI in cases involving BSP, SP and RJD leaders.
Left Front should think about associating with SP in future. SP ditched Left Front during 2008 trust vote and now again on cut motion vote.
Congress had said it has a strategy for cut motions. Left Front and BJP should have guessed the strategy. BSP’s position was clear one week before. When SP and RJD did not issue whips on 26/4/2010 it was clear they will not vote for the cut motions.
JMM leader and chief minister of Jharkhand Shibu Soren was present on 27/4/2010 in Lok Sabha against cut motions. BJP expected him to vote for cut motions as JMM and BJP are partners in Jharkhand. Shibu Soren did the opposite. There was talk that he had cut a deal with Congress. No JMM MLA has vacated his or her seat for him and time is running out for him to remain as chief minister.
In 1999 Giridhar Gamang, then chief minister of Orissa, came to Lok Sabha to take part in confidence motion. There was consternation in BJP. They did not object when debate was going on. When the time for voting came BJP objected to Giridhar Gamang taking part in voting as he was a chief minister. Congress supported Giridhar Gamang. Both sides quoted precedents. Speaker G. M. C. Balayogi left it to the conscience of Giridhar Gamang to vote or not to vote. Giridhar Gamang voted the motion was defeated by one vote. Vajpayee Government fell.
It was also the time when Mayawati said in Lok Sabha BSP will not vote either for or against the confidence motion and next day voted against the motion.
This time the decision was not close as the cut motions were defeated by 88 and 84 votes. But BJP was angry. It withdrew support to Shibu Soren on 28/4/2010. BJP also is the loser as it was part of the government.
Shibu Soren was one of JMM MPs who had taken money to vote in favour of Narasimha Rao Government when it faced a no confidence motion and lacked majority.
What was Pranab Mukherjee’s role in getting the cut motions defeated? He was supposed to go to USA and his trip was cancelled. What could Pranab Mukherjee do that other Congress leaders could not do?
While the disruptions of proceedings by our MPs are bad enough sometimes we come across MPs of other countries who go a step further. On 27/4/2010 MPs in Ukraine’s parliament got physical in their fights, threw eggs and set off smoke bombs. Guards covered speaker with an umbrella to protect him from eggs.
