New Delhi, July 19: The Shiv Sena, which has slammed its ally Bharatiya Janata Party on a number of issues, will vote in favour of the Narendra Modi government during the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
“We will support the BJP. A formal announcement may be made by this evening,” news agency PTI quoted an unnamed source close to party chief Uddhav Thackeray as saying.
The Sena had said earlier in the day that it will speak “when required” during the no-trust motion.
“In a democracy, the voice of the opposition should be heard first even if it consists of one person. Even we (Shiv Sena) will speak when it is required. During voting, whatever Uddhav Thackeray directs us, we will do,” senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The party was earlier said to be miffed with the BJP top brass for not calling Thackeray ahead of the floor test to seek support. A senior Sena leader had said that the “attitude” of the BJP shows they do not need Sena’s support.
The motion has been slated for debate at 11am on Friday – the first since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government came to power four years ago.
The Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were among the opposition parties that moved the motion on Wednesday, the first day of the Monsoon session. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday allowed the motion to be taken up on Friday.
