Bhubaneswar: After August 2024 contemplation, the leaders of INDI alliance in the Upper House Tuesday gave a notice of moving a no-confidence motion against the Rajya Sabha Chairperson and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. 

In the history of Independent India, this will be the first instance of moving no confidence motion against Vice President of India.

The Opposition in the Upper House had a very turbulent relationship with Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. The leaders of INDI bloc had contemplated onbringing no-confidence motion first in August this year alleging bias and for making personal remarks against RS members in the House.

HOW UNFOLDED?

However, when the Winter session saw the Upper House coming to a grinding halt over INDI leaders demand for debate on alleged bribery case against Adani, and in a twist Monday BJP launched a counter attack on Congress drawing link between Sonia Gandhi and George Soros, RS chairman Dhankar had made a statement after holding a meeting with leader of house and leader of opposition in his chamber. The summary of his statement is given below.

• VP said I had in my chamber a meeting between the leader of the House and the leader of the opposition.
• The purpose of that meeting was to ensure that the House runs smoothly...
• I would appeal to all the members of the House to carefully consider the oath of the Constitution they have taken.
• The oath to ensure the integrity of the nation on a priority basis.
• Any challenge to the unity of the nation, to the integrity of the nation... requires all of us to offer a united challenge.
• We as a nation are committed to fighting these sinister forces, these forces that are inimical to India.
• This inimical force mechanism, a deep state that is evolving, is required to be neutralised by all of us...
• The functioning of the deep state has been noticed that it affects us more perniciously than COVID disease
• This is an occasion where the entire nation needs to speak in one voice. The nation must give a total lesson never to venture into a misadventure to challenge our integrity, and our sovereignty and impede our progress.  

The Opposition calls it bias. And Tuesday a notice with 50+ signatures by MPs from the Congress, Trinamool, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, DMK and the RJD - was submitted to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.   

VICE PRESIDENT JAGDEEP DHANKAR

Modest but firm looking Dhankar has very keen eyes thanks to being a cricketer in schools days and a career lawyer in rest of life. Though sports a humble smile on his lips while conducting business in the Upper House, he seems hyper-focused on the proceedings of the House without getting distracted from the din.

He was mimicked outside House by Trinamool MPs and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan had a run-in with the RS chairman over use of word – Jaya ‘Amitabh’ Bachchan in her name, when she herself had filed election affidavit for RS member with the same name.

THE NOTICE

The leader of INID Alliance has served a notice to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat under the Article 67 (b) of the Indian Constitution.

ARTICLE 67 (B) 

The election, tenure and removal of the Vice-President of India is governed by the Article 67 of the constitution.

The Article states Vice President shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office:

Provided that-

The leaders of INDI bloc, therefore, served their notice under Art 67 (B) of the constitution on Tuesday.

WHAT NEXT?

After the notice period, the motion will be taken up in the Upper House and will be subject to voting. And the motion will stand as passed if gets the support of majority of votes. And then as mandated in the Clause B of Article 67, the motion has to take the concurrence of the Lok Sabha by simple majority to declare the motion as adopted.

The adoption of no-confidence motions always is guided by number game. Generally, no-confidence motions are moved if either

• The opposition bloc has the numerical advantage OR
• On some significant issue concerning people (for example removal of a tainted person or grave mismanagement that endangered lives of common citizens or grave misconduct)

THE NUMBER GAME

Seen from last many years that parties bring no-confidence motion even if satisfies neither of the above accepted yardsticks. 

Now, consider the present no-confidence motion notice given by INDI bloc. A look at the present strength of Upper House has the following numbers.

• Total Strength – 245

NDA Strength – 125, among which,

• BJP – 98 
• JDU – 4 
• NCP – 3 
• TDP – 2 
• JD(S) – 1 
• Shiv Sena – 1
• Rashtriya Lok Dal – 1 
• Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha – 1
• PMK – 1
• AGP – 1 
• TMC (Moppanar) – 1
• National People’s Party – 1
• RPI (Athawale) – 1
• UPPL – 1
• Plus support of 2 independents.
• Plus support of 6 nominated

INDI ALLIANCE – 88 

• Congress – 27
• TMC – 13
• AAP – 10
• DMK – 10
• RJD – 5
• CPI(M) – 4
• SP – 4 
• JMM – 3
• NCP (Sharad Pawar) – 2
• Shiv Sena (Uddhav) – 2 
• CPI – 2
• IUML – 2
• MDMK – 1
• AGM – 1
• KC – 1
• Plus independent 1

NEUTRAL STRENGTH – 24 

• YSRCP – 8 
• BJD – 7 
• BRS – 4 
• AIADMK – 3
• BSP – 1
• MNF – 1

A non-confidence motion is always followed by voting – by voice vote or division of votes. A glance at the above numbers show even if division of vote will be done the motion will get negated by more than the NDA strength, given the number of non-aligned bloc like AIADMK, YSRCP and BSP.

HISTORY

In 2020, the INDI alliance has moved no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Dy Chairman Harivansh over the passage of 3 controversial Farm laws. The notice was rejected by the then Chairman and VP Venkaiah Naidu for procedural lapses.

BOTTOMLINE:  INDI bloc knows their number well. Still they move this no-confidence to put on their grievances on the canvass. But will it work? 

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