| gauravrjpl:what happens when the number of absentees increases? Will the voting still be there? And what about the magic number? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : The quorum in Lok Sabha is 0ne-tenth, which means technically the vote will go on if there are atleast 55 MPs present. The magic number will of course be a simple majority of all those present
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| drsankalp:well i dont agree with cnn panel
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : On which issue dr sankalp?
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| Aasim Nisar:can any one provide me a link to Nuclaer deal Document !!! any website where it is availbale
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Your best bet would be the Ministry of External Affairs website- meaindia.nic.in and search for the documents you want (The Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement, the 1-2-3 final text, and the IAEA safeguards text)
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| Rajee:The 3 MP from BJP have come to the floor thinking the general public will focus into thier allegation. Here in Dubai along with my collegues feel that this drama was expected but not from BJP...All the respect and credit BJP gained is lost due to such a shameful act. If some has given money then why would they accept and not inform the police. How did they bring the money inside the parliament, does the security check the MPS or not. Will there be some MP carrying guns and not checked.
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : This is still unfolding Rajee- lets wait and see if they have evidence to prove their allegations. And yes anyone carrying guns would be checked
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| Rajee:Certain ailing MP's are being brought into the house in either wheel chair or stretchers..will the doctor give a certificate confirming such person are healthy and his judgement in the vote is done in a best state of mind....just a thought |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : It's certainly worth a story to find out!
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| prashanttonse:can the president allow the governement to function inspite of it being into minority and not allow this trust vote there by saving time and money. |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Technically yes, but for how long? Elections will be due withing six months then
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| ashim:NDA is confused after Mayawati name came as prime minister candidate but it doesn't matter but became issue for NDA to vote in favour of UPA (Congress) to safe guard the national party's interest in centre, Advani will be great looser, if today UPA will get the confidence what, Is it true |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : You are right in a sense- many members of the NDA do feel that if the government wins- it will get the credit, but if it loses, Mayawati will get the edge for having broken away key SP votes from the government
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| Kaushik Goswami:What is 'anti-defection' law?Can this law be implemented on those MPs who are switching ends? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Yes, the law can be enforced on all the MPs who vote against their party whip in the confidence vote, and they will be disqualified as MPs once their parties expel them. But lets remember the next elections arent very far away- and thats the reason the anti-defection law is not frightening any MPs right now
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| AK:What are the fallouts if UPA government loses the trust vote on July 22? Are there any chances of Mayawati heading a interim government? Even if she heads one, will the BJP support the UNPA led alliance? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : It is unlikely any other combination would be accepted by the President. It is more likely Ms Patil will ask Dr Singh to continue as caretake PM and prepare for elections
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| K R Mathew:Why would CPIM burst out today and feel that UPA (they were part of it) have not been trustworthy..Did they realize only after 4 years and 2 months..if they were fair....they should have brought this discussion long back..corrrect me if I am wrong..
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : No you are correct, except the CPM feels the government never made it clear that it was determined to go ahead with the nuclear deal- and that it has betrayed the left now by going to the IAEA
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| Kaushik Goswami:With so many members abstaining,what will be the new magic number for the UPA as of now? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : As of tuesday afternoon (before the bribery ruckus) CNN-IBN estimated 4 abstentions- and the half way mark would be 269 (270 to win)
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| B.N.R.Rao:Even if this UPA govt.survives,it will be surviving in an ICU.Is it not better for them to go for elections and have the citizen's mandate tu rule te country instead of lowering their image further? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : The nuclear deal would probably have to be called off then.
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| Sonu:What is the stand of congress MP Kuldeep Bishnoi ??
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Bishnoi has been a party rebel for some time- he is the son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, and feels sidelined by the party in the state. Bishnoi has openly said he will vote against the government, and though the Congress was able to woo back fellow rebel Karnal MP Arvind Sharma- they look unlikely to succeed with Bishnoi.
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| Kaushik Goswami:Will this trust vote also prove that the power to Delhi has to pass though UP? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Only if the Government loses the vote :)
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| Prasad KVN:Its an open secret how UPA is getting MPs to save the Government. Can anyone file a complaint and how did UPA parties got so much money and prosecute both?
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Well if you go by Justice Bharucha's judgement in the JMM case of 1993, no one can be prosecuted for an act committed inside parliament. By that logic, the bribe-taker cannot be prosecuted for changing their vote in the house even if it is in exchange for money- but the bribe-givers, if proven guilty, can be prosecuted (As former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and former Home Minister Buta Singh were in the JMM case). Of course the bribe-takers can always be prosecuted for disproportionate assets.
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| bala:There is an article in the paper saying that treaties need not be ratified by the Parliament as per the Indian Constitution. Even if it has to be ratified, the treaty can be voted. Why did the Government have to put its neck in the line? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : That is a very good question many have asked- but if the government hadnt moved a confidence motion, I am quite sure the Left or the BJP would have moved one
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| akhil:dont you think the horse trading of mp's is the second edition of IPLauctioning? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Well its still playing out- stay tuned to CNN-IBN !
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| aftab kola:How ethical it is to bring in seriously ill MPs to vote? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Its all relative Aftab- after all the efforts to bring convicted MPs to vote :) Not ethical perhaps, but legal.
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| Anil:If the Deal says that we can exercise our own options --where is the problem and why is the Left bellyaching so much?
Is it because of their inherent anti imperialism stand or they want the Govt to toe their line at every step?
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : The Left has made it clear it feels the deal will bring India and the US too close together, and thats the basic reason for their unhappiness
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| Giridaran:If UPA govt fails to prove majority, will Left Come up for support on withdrawing N-deal efforts? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : :) It seems unlikely the Left will support the Congress again while Dr. Manmohan Singh remains PM
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| Parampreet Singh:Last night, a spokesperson from the US said that they'll go ahead with the deal even if the govt is a minority...Is it possible?? Is there any chance that the deal is saved even if the govt is not?? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : It depends who you believe Parampreet- Technically there is nothing to stop the government from concluding the deal while in minority. But in march this year Pranab Mukherjee made it clear it would not be ethical for the government to do so- and the fact that the government has gone for a trust vote before approaching the IAEA board of governors suggests that the government will not go ahead with the deal unless it wins the vote
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| Senthil:So wat next for congres if UPA looses trust vote? Senthil.M |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : They need to prepare for elections!!!
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| raviroy:How many Akali Dal MP's are there? and what is their position? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : SAD has eight MPs and the party has already issued a whip asking MPs to vote against the trust vote.
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| raviroy:How is it possible to get jailed MP's to come and vote in the house? Is there no law against it? How many jailed MP's are there? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Legally, Members of Parliament who are in jail are supposed to be granted parole to cast their votes. This has happened several times during the previous trust or no-trust motions.
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| Kishore Gubburi:Different channels are showing different figures for and against government. For example u say that there are 269 MP's for the motion and another english news channel is saying 271. Why is this difference? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Kishore...this ie because the figures are based on our reporters' interaction and information that is coming out of various parties. These figures are only an indicator, for no one can clearly predict which way an MP will finally vote tomorrow. This is why there are differences in various channels.
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| Debashis:Why did the UPA go for a trust vote, in-stead of waiting for the opposition to ask for no confidence? Is it because, they are confident of winning in the next election if held early? Is the trust vote on only one issue, nuclear deal, or issues of price rise, foreign policy, internal security etc? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Ruling parties or coalitions go in for trust motions when there is a fear they have been reduced to a minority. The Left withdrew its support on the issue of N-deal, so by that logic, it can be argued this has become a vote on this issue. In reality, it wont be just about N-deal. Its whether majority of MPs have trust in the current to continue ruling or not.
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| Sujit Chakraborty:If u called this is democracy then probably we are far behind of actual democracy which stated for the people of the people & by the people.We are watching few bunch of regional parties always blackmailing the government.can't we amend our constitution and restrict them for only state election?? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Do we really have any party which can currently be considered National? The Congress is the largest party at the National level, but isn't ruling any large state outside of Maharashtra, Haryana and Andhra, besides a couple of others!
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| sourav:What is the current status of number game at 17.33 IST? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : 269 For, 268 Against and 04 undecided!!!
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| Kaushik Goswami:Our Constitution states that "In case of a tie between the government and the opposition, the speaker is authorised to excercise his casting vote".But many political observers believe that the speaker is above party politics.So how does our constitution allow a speaker to exercise his voting rights?
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Which is precisely why the speaker needs to have a casting vote right. Because, if he or she isn't given that right, what do you do when there is a tie? The principle is that since the Speaker does not represent any party, his vote is mos objective.
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| sai prakash:is this whole issue becoming a political drama....? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Sai, politics is now theatre...not just in India. You will find similar sentiments being expressed even in the media in United States, which is in poll mode as well!
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| Goutam Rakshit:Goutam Rakshit:We have not sent Indian troops to Afghanistan or Iraq and we have not wilted under US pressure in our relationship with Iran.So how is CPI(M) arguing that the Nuclear deal is tantamount to surrendering our stategic interests to the US? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : That is one important viewpoint Goutam!
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| Pradeep Hegde:Could BJP with number stacking aginst it have raised NO confidence motion before? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : They could have Pradeep. But then the Left would not have supported them!!
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| Kalpana Ravi:What i would really like to know from this esteemed panel is how will the N Deal be positive for the common man? As you have mentioned earlier with majority of our populace being illetrate how is he/she going to understand the positvness of this deal now what with inflation touchin 2 digits? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : You are right Kalpana. Its difficult for any party to explain the merits or even the de-merits of the N-deal to their electorate. Which is why while there may be some sort of support or opposition on the issue of N-deal, the next election will not be fought on this issue at all. Which is why the ruling coalition is desperately trying to save the government, as inflation is indeed a bigger and better understood worry for a whole lot more people in India.
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| vinoth11:Can Rajyasabha MPs cast vote in this election ?
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : No. Only Lok Sabha has trust or no-trust votes.
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| vinoth11:What will hapenn if the voting become a tie for both parties ? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : In case of a tie between the government and the opposition, the speaker is authorised to excercise his casting vote.
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| raviroy:Do you think the BJP's position on this issue has opened the floodgates for Mayawati and precipitated the new third front politics? Would the new third front have come about if the BJP had decided to vote with the government? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Correct Ravi. It may not have happened. But then, SP may not have gone with the UPA as well!!! Politics is the art of the possible!!
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| Mahesh Lekhi:Dont you think "Whips" are undemocratic? Its mean that few people at the top of political parties push their agenda rather that an independent thinking & views of the indiviual elected representatives? Such Whips are a big tool in the hands of smaller parties like to JMM, JD(S) etc. to fulfil the specific self interest of leader, their families etc at the cost of National Interests. |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : You are right Mahesh and this point has become a subject matter of certain debates. But not having whips will make cross voting and consequently the attempts to "buy" out MPs easier for all parties, as there will be no deterrent for anyone on voting purely on the basis of a pecuniary gain being offered by a rival.
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| Sujit Chakraborty:I think smaller parties are actual problem maker, can we amened our constitution that abolition of regional parties and only national parties will be eligible for forming national government!! |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Sujit...this is like saying the CPM and CPI should be disallowed, because they do not have a national presence. Democracy does not work like that!!
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| vinoth11:Can MPs who are not able to make to the parliment will able to send the authorisation letters on behalf of theire vote to speaker ? does constitution allows it ?
just like a postal vote |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : No, the constitution does not allow any form of postal ballots in trust or no-trust votes. All votes need to be on the floor of the house. The only exception that has been made this time is certain MPs who are completely bed-ridden because if illness will be allowed to cast their votes from the Parliament lobby. But they will need to be physically present.
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| raviroy:Why is the BJP voting against the government on this issue? I don't get it!! I understand that they are opposed to the government however this trust vote is a defacto vote on the nuclear deal (in my opinion). The BJP have always been in favour of strategic relations with the USA. General elections are roughly a year away. Why can't they vote with the government on this issue, and then fight them in the general election. Are they not playing politics for politics sake? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Yes Ravi, this is an opinion that a lot of political commentators share. But in politics, the word responsibility is rare. There are only self-interests!!
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| amitjain:Is a presidential form of Govt. like in the case of US a better option then the one we have now. Would'nt it be better than haveing to rely on small parties and independents and reduce horse trading? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : That's a thought Amit, which many people seem to be expressing. But one must remember India is a huge country with extremely varied educational and awareness levels, with large portion of the electorate being poor and completely illiterate. While large portions of our electorate may be smart enough to vote for their member of parliament, just try and examine if most of them are aware enough to vote for their President!
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| K R Mathew:Will BJP list the terms and conditions or aleast place some points which UPA has not reaised to the public which they would re-nogotaite when they come to power? Do you think there will be anything new to re-negotiate? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Mathe. Lets not carried away by political rhetoric! The fact that BJP is currently speaking about re-negotiating the deal is no guarantee they will end up doing so!
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| Gunnis:If the govt. gets thru this trust vote. When can it face its next trust vote are there any legal limitations or is it a free for a lone disgruntled MP to pull it down when he so wishes? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Trust vote is sought by the government, while no-confidence motion is brought about by the opposition. This debate is over a trust motion moved by Manmohan Singh. So it is unlikely another trust vote will be sought by Manmohan Singh. However, if the government survives, th opposition can at a later stage bring about a no-confidence motion.
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| sumanth kumar v:what is the use of WHIP sir if the members vote against their party wishes and by this kind of votes if goverment survives .Is this not comes under disqalification? And how can one knows who voted for which party? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Sumanth:
There are only three things possible in a vote of confidence or no confidence. An MP can either vote for the motion, against the motion or abstain. Any MP which defies the whip issued by his/her party is up for disqualification. This includes an MP abstaining from vote. However, the only exception in this situation is when the entire party has decided to abstain, and consequently not issued any whip at all, like Trinamool Congress this time. Voting on trust motions in the house are not secret ballots and it can be clearly established if an MP voted against or for the motion. Depending on the party's whip, a list of those who defied their respective party whips can easily be drawn up and action taken against them. Hope this explains the system!!
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| Shiv Agrawal:What do you think.....even if the Govt clears the voting battle, will it last for long....Our people(the so called Netas) are negotiating so hard before it,will they not do this later???? Threatning at all times for each damn thing going against either of them...
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CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : You are right Shiv. Even if the government survives the trust vote, it will surely get reduced to a mere lame-duck government. Negotiation, dealings and betrayal are part of politics. But the fact remains this is the price we pay for failing to deliver clear verdicts in polls. The middle class must share a bit of the blame for complaining but not turning up to vote when it matters. We need educated, informed people to excercise their franchise, whichever way they wish to.
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| Kaushik Goswami:What is the possibility of a new political re-alignment in the next general election as so many events are occuring just 8 months before the general election?What is the future of the UNPA?Can Mayawati be the 'first lady' of Indian Politics in the near future? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : The fact remains, Mayawati has shaken up the Indian political establishment like no one else in recent years. Its hazardous to predict anything in politics, but it should be safe to suggest she would remain one of the fulcrums around which a large portion of the Indian polity will revolve during the next elections. The fact that she is a woman, a Dalit and commands a state which sends over 80 MPs to Lok Sabha are factors which will become difficult to ignore for any political combination. As of now she is more than proving your epithet of being the "First Lady of Indian Politics"
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| vinothkumar:What will happen to rebel MDMK MP s, if they vote for UPA ?, will they lose MP status if goverment survives ? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Hi vinothkumar
The constitution is clear on this. Any member of Parliament who defies a whip issued by the party, will lose his or her membership of the House. However, many MPs are willing to go ahead with this risk as they are batting for better stakes in the next Lok Sabha and not this one, as there are just eight months left for the present term to end, assuming it will last its full course.
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| Kaushik Goswami:What will be the role of the speaker-Mr Somnath Chatterjee,can he put forward his resignation just before the trust vote?Will the CPI(M) reprimand Mr Chatterjee for not following the instructions? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Hi kaushik
The fact that he has ignored his party's diktat of not presiding over the trust vote clearly means he will not do so. As late as last evening his party had asked him not to preside over today's proceedings, but he chose to ignore it. It is certain the the CPM will not take kindly to his virtual open defiance. However, it is equally well known Somnath Chatterjee and his party have not been on the best of terms for a while now and that they differ on several issues.
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| Sudhindra Chatterjee:What's the possibility of CPIM abstaining from vote at the last moment? Will the Govt survive in that case? CPIM is under tremedous pressure in WB, Kerala and does not want to face election in Nov. Neither Mayavati is a dependable ally to CPIM. |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Thats a good question Sudhindra. Abstentions will certainly help the UPA in their attempts to survive the trust vote, as it brings down the effective strength of the house.
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| Aditya Harneja:I believe that the importance of a Trust Vote goes beyond petty ambitions of a few MPs demanding favors in return for a vote that does not belong to THEM, but the people they represent. How can a Trust Vote be cleaner in coalition politics? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Thats a very pertinent question. However, there are no easy answers to this. One of the reasons why this confidence motion carries more of an impression of a free-for-all is because the term of this Lok Sabha is ending in eight months. Most of the MPs who are indulging in cross voting or changing loyalties, are doing so keeping the next elections in mind. Also, many MPs are worried because they may lose their traditional seats because of delimitation. So they are willing to cross over to whichever party is assuring them of a seat the forthcoming elections. The impression that some amount money may be changing hands, isnt without basis either.
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| Kaushik Goswami:Are the parties indulging in 'horse-trading'?Is there any law by which this 'horse trading' can be stopped?MP's are announcing in public that there were offered Rs 100 crores-are the political parties making mockery of the citizens of this country? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : This is the price we pay for living in an era of coalition. When you are dependent on others for support, you end up making compromises. We have seen this with the NDA government and we are seeing this now with UPA as well.
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| prasher:Don"t you think that Pranab"s speech cleared everything.He has clearly stated that the 123 agreement does not invovle the Hyde Act. If this is so than this deal is good for India. |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Amongst all the speeches so far, his has been the most focussed on the issue of the N-deal. He was able to provide a point-by-point rebuttal of a lot of things the leader of opposition, L K Advani had made in his opening speech.
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| Ashish Ralph P.:Advani mentioned that he was satisfied with the deal but suddenly changed his mind, Its dirty politics in derailing the deal. |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : There is some merit in this observation. Several facts have come out which clearly suggest the BJP had indeed been a supporter. Which is why you now see Advani saying he does not oppose the deal, rather they object to certain clauses and would like to re-negotiate it!!
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| rrgopal:What will happen if the government falls and if it goes for fresh election. What did the survey says?. Who will form the next government |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : If the government indeed falls, the earliest possible elections would be November. That means about four-and-a-half months. As we have seen recently, even a week is a long time in politics!! So hazarding any guess on who will win is a risky business. Afterall, government formation is increasingly about arithmetic.
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| srikanth:Are there any laws in place to check horse trading? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : There are, but like all other illegal acts, need evidence. Shibu Soren is a case in point who has faced charges on this count.
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| SANJAY KAUL:WHAT DOES CNN IBN THINK?? IS THE DEAL GOOD FOR COUNTRY EVEN AS IT WILL INCREASE INDIA"S ENERGY SUPPY BY A MERE FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS?? |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : Like all policy decisions, this one is debatable as well. I think the point is not whether the deal will work or not, as that argument will be based on deficient understanding of the issue. The point is the grounds on which parties are supporting or opposing it. Unfortunately, a lot of debate over the deal has been reduced to bluster, and not substance.
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| Ashish Ralph P.:Why could'nt the BJP raise a NO Confidence motion long ago |
CNN-IBN Editors' Panel : That's a question best answered by the party, but remember politics is all about timing. Ten months ago, no one could have imagined such crisis gripping the government. The markets were up, overseas acquisitions fuelled pride, growth rate was historic. Middle class India had a huge positive feel. The sentiment has now dramatically changed...!
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