NDA to prove majority, Oppn to see strength of NDA plus: BJP

Union minister Ananth Kumar today exuded confidence that the NDA would prove its majority in the Parliament.

Union minister Ananth Kumar today exuded confidence that the NDA would prove its majority in the Parliament and said the opposition would see the strength of "NDA plus" during the no-trust motion.

Kumar entered the parliament with BJP president Amit Shah and both leaders flashed the victory sign.

The Narendra Modi government is expected to have a smooth sailing when it faces the first no-confidence motion in four years in the Lok Sabha.

Though the numbers are heavily stacked against the opposition, the Congress and other parties have indicated that they are keen to utilise the debate to attack the government on a range of of issues including farm distress, slow economic growth and rising incidents of lynching.

Ahead of Assembly polls in four states due later this year and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders see the debate as an opportunity to reach out to the masses with "successes" of the government and also to attack the "opportunist alliance" of opposition parties.

The BJP is also seeking to expand the guaranteed support of 313 members after estranged ally Shiv Sena said it will back the government.

In a House of 534 MPs, the National Democratic Alliance has 313 members - 274 (including the Speaker) of BJP, 18 of Shiv Sena, six of Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and four from Shiromani Akali Dal.

The majority mark in the House is 268. There are 11 vacancies.

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