Did Mamata forget her arithmetic? This is how the numbers line up

An attempt by former UPA ally Trinamool Congress to bring a no-confidence motion against the government over FDI in retail failed on Thursday in the Lok Sabha for want of requisite numbers.

Mamata Banerjee's party moved the motion as soon as Parliament met for the Winter Session but Speaker Meira Kumar disallowed it as it could not muster the required support of 50 members.

The motion, first in the current Lok Sabha, was moved by Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay and was supported by BJD.

However, it lacked the support of the required 50 members as only TMC's 18 members and BJD's three members supported.

Moving the motion, Bandopadhyay said, "This House expresses want of confidence in the Council of Ministers over its decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail as it is going to harm millions of small businesses."

The Speaker asked all those supporting the motion to stand up.

Amidst chants of "shame shame" from Congress benches, TMC members stood up and there was a verbal clash too.

On seeing the lack of adequate support, the Speaker said, "The motion does not have the leave of the House."

The Lok Sabha witnessed two adjournments including one when Trinamool Congress members stormed the well.

After Trinamool's no confidence motion failed, the Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj pressed for a discussion on the FDI in retail issue under rule 184 which entails voting.

The senior BJP leader contended that discussion under a rule which entails voting was necessary as the government has committed "gross insult" of Parliament by not keeping its word on consulting all stakeholders including political parties before taking the decision on FDI.

She said the government has shown contempt for the assurances given by then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee who is now the President of India.

Swaraj said a vote on the issue would show that people of the country were against the move which would affect small traders.

Parliament's Winter Session started on an acrimonious note on Thursday with both houses being adjourned for the day after an aggressive Opposition demanded a vote on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.

The Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha witnessed repeated disruptions before being adjourned till Friday.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day at 2 p.m. after being adjourned four times as the BJP, CPI-M and Trinamool Congress members pressed for a vote on the issue of allowing 51 percent foreign equity in multi-brand retail.

Senior BJP leader and current spokesperson of the BJP, Tarun Vijay. He is the former editor of the RSS mouthpiece, the Organiser.

Trinamool joined the protest after its no-confidence motion against the government was rejected by the Lok Sabha.