Sunday, July 20, 2008

History on Congress' side

With passing day, the suspense over the fate of the United Progressive Alliance at the Centre grows. The Congress, however, could have something to smile about.

Going back in time, it comes to light that the Congress has not lost a single trust vote although it has encountered such a situation over 17 times in the past.

The first of the trust votes was faced by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the year 1963.
The motion was moved by Socialist Party leader J B Kriplani.
Nehru, however, sailed through comfortably with a thumping majority of 347 votes.

The second Congress leader to face a no confidence vote was Indira Gandhi.

During her tenure as prime minister between 1996 and 1975 and between 1981 and 1982, she faced a total of 15 no confidence motions -- 12 during her first tenure and three during her second.

The late prime minister, however, defeated the opposition on all occasions.

The next Congress leader to face a trust vote was P V Narasimha Rao in the years 1991 and 1993.

Rao cruised through both no confidence motions. However, a can of worms -- later infamously known as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery scandal -- was opened up after the 1993 trust vote.

The 83-year-old is often credited with launching India on the path of economic reforms in 1991, having brought in the present Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to head the finance ministry.


Source-- rediffmail.com


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