It was the second instance of loss of face for TMC chief Mamata Banerjee. First, she had to backtrack on the issue of Presidential candidate and support Pranab Mukherjee. On Thursday, the TMC failed to get the required 50 MPs to move the no-confidence motion against the UPA-II Government.
While three BJD MPs supported Didi’s bid, the TMC themselves found one MP short with only 18 MPs present in Parliament. While TMC MP Kabir Suman did not show up citing ill-health, the TMC did not even bother to get the support of its ally SUCI.
However, the West Bengal Chief Minister defended the no-trust motion on FDI and stated that it showed her party’s “commitment to the people of the country”. Didi said on Facebook: “We thought that other members who are so vociferous against the FDI, and various other anti-people decisions of the UPA Government would join the no-trust move against the government. Unfortunately, they did not come forward for the cause of the people, citing various excuses.”
Answering the Left’s allegation that Mamata was in fact saving the UPA-II Government by proposing the no-confidence motion, Didi said: “Though the motion was rejected on the floor of the House, the ‘No Trust’ against the UPA government is not rejected by the people of the country.”
The Left Front, however, taunted the TMC and ridiculed the move. “It is laughable that everybody except her knew that the motion would not be admitted. She went from door to door seeking support for her no-confidence motion. But, actually it is she, on whom nobody has confidence,” said Surjya Kanta Mishra, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and CPM Politburo member.