Motion of Confidence in CHAITRA 21, 1919 {Sp\d} the Council of Ministers 11.05 hrs. Now it so happened that after 3-4 days of suspicion, Deve Gowda was chosen and was called by Rashtrapatiji MOTION OF CONFIDENCE IN THE to form a Government. Then he said: COUNCIL OF MINISTERS “My understanding about Shri Deve Gowda is that [English] this party will not allow this Government to fall under any circumstances. History will not say that it was THE PRIME MINISTER (SHRI H.D. DEVE GOWDA): because of the Congress Party that Gowda’s Sir, I beg to move: Government had fallen.” “That this House expresses its confidence in the I am quoting this just to draw the attention of this Council of Ministers”. august House to the stand taken by the then Congress Sir, with your permission, I would like to move a President and the CPP leader on that day and to the Confidence Motion for the second time in the last ten assurance given to the nation. I am only trying to refresh months. the memory of this august House about what had happened on that day. I do not want to narrate what had On the 12th of June 1996, in this very same House, been said by other friends. Shri A.R. Antulay had said at a Confidence Motion was moved and it was carried by the very same place that “the question of withdrawing this very same House. Today again, I have come before the support from our side is ruled out. We will stand by this House to take a vote of confidence because of certain him, stand by this Government till the end”. 1 think I am new developments which took place. correct. What Shri Sharad Pawar, while addressing this On that day, that is, 12th June. 1996, when the House on the Motion of Thanks on Rashtrapatiji’s Address Confidence Motion was carried though, 13 parties to both the Houses, had said in his speech, I do not including the national and regional parties combined want to narrate again. A copy of his speech is with me. together formed the United Front and, at that time, the In the last ten months, the Government, with the United Front had got only about 192 Members. The support of thirteen parties, was asked to run this supporting party, the Congress (I), under the leadership Government. Subsequently, the National Conference also of Shri P.V Narasimha Rao on the 12th May, 1996, took joined. Mainly two supporting parties from outside, the a unanimous decision— the decision was spontaneously Congress and the CPl(M), extended their cooperation in taken by the Congress that: ‘If the third Front is prepared the last ten months. Otherwise, whatever achievements to form the Government, we are going to extend the we have made in the last ten months, we would not support’. That was on the 12th May, 1996. After that, all have been able to make. Some of the achievements I the regional and national parties got combined, they am going to spell out, taking advantage of this Confidence elected a leader among themselves— and the new political Motion. This achievement is not by me, this achievement force, the third force, which we called the United Front is not by my colleagues alone, this achievement in was established— and on the 15th May, 1996, I was particular is because of the cooperation extended by the elected as the Leader of the United Front. Rashtrapatiji supporting parties and the parties which are in the called me after Shn Atal Bihari Vajpayee had tendered Government shanng power, and in general, the House his resignation on 28th May, 1996. He called me to form also has extended its full cooperation to achieve some of the Government and he gave me a deadline that before the objects to which we have committed ourselves in our 12th June, 1996, I should go before this House and Common Minimum Programme. obtain the mandate of the House. On the day when the supporting parties and the Sir, 1 do not want to blame anybody or cast other national and regional parties came together, there aspersions against any individual or any political party. was some sort of a natural suspicion in the minds of the But I would like to just narrate as to what has happened. people in the country whether the national parties or the On the day when the discussions took place on the regional parties could go together, whether they could Confidence Motion, the then C.P.P. President and the discharge the responsibilities, whether the regional parties Congress (I) leader. Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao had had got the experience about the national issues or the categoncally mentioned the following in his speech. national outlook, as they had no expenence of running a Government at the national level and may try to confine I would just like to quote from his own speech- to their own States. “Anyone, any forces or combination of forces on the This was the sort of suspicion in the minds of the basis of secularism, on the basis of accepted people of this country and some of the intellectuals also principles, we are prepared to cooperate, we are expressed their feelings while we were asked to shoulder prepared to support from outside.” the responsibility. I am glad to say that in the last ten Motion of Confidence in 11 APRIL, 1997 ttie Council of Ministers [Shri H.D. Deve Gowda] months all the steps that we have taken have clearly When we accepted the challenge for a smooth proved that the national parties as well as the regional functioning of the Government, we had adopted the parties, combined, had run the Government better than Common Minimum Programme by all the parties including the previous regimes. I can say this without doubt. In the the C.P.i.(M) which is a supporting party and which is last ten months and on the day when I replied to the not participating in the Government, barring the Congress. Confidence Motion— I repeat on the day when I replied After adopting the Common Minimum Programme, to the Confidence Motion— I said: we took a decision that to implement this, the cooperation “How long will I continue in office is not my concern— of all the Chief Ministers was to be solicited. That is whether it is for five days or five months or five why, I called the Chief Ministers’ Conference. The Chief years. I am not going to worry. But my concern is Ministers’ Conference was held for two days and a that as long as I am going to be here, I must work decision was taken unanimously about the areas where to the best of the ability with my experience to solve we could implement this Programme without any difference the problems of the nation’. of opinion. The decision was taken unanimously by identifying about seven priority sectors. I am glad to say You can also go through my speech. With this background that almost all the Chief Ministers agreed for these seven I started my work with the cooperation of my colleagues. priority areas, to be completed in a time-bound programme Sir, I would like to just narrate to this august House by 2000 A.D. all the steps that we have taken in the last ten months The other issue was that the National Development because it is very essential to know where I have gone Council had also not met for several years. We called a wrong and betrayed the confidence of the people of this meeting of the National Development Council. There also, country or betrayed the confidence reposed by the we took a decision about the Ninth Plan. The Approach supporting parties in this Government. I would like to Paper for the Ninth Plan was also approved. Of course, bring this to the notice of this hon. House. it is not brought before this House because of the other Sir. the first decision that we took was to revive formalities to be completed. For the first time, the some of the institutions which were very much essential Approach Paper for the Ninth Five Year Plan was finalised tor cooperation between the States and the Centre while in a short span of four or five months. The document running the administration. A meeting of the Inter-State was placed before the Cabinet and the Cabinet had taken Council was not held for six years. We tried to revive a decision about the Approach Paper for the Ninth Plan. the Inter-State Council meetings and we had two sittings. The NDC had also met and we adopted the Approach In the two sittings the main issue that was discussed Paper for the Ninth Plan. Of course, this has to be was the Sarkaria Commission's report. The discussed in the very same House to give it a final touch recommendation of the Sarkaria Commission was to share We have agreed in the Common Minimum not only political power but also economic power. Some Programme about the Lokpal Bill. The Lokpal Bill was of the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission were also introduced. It is now before the Standing Committee, accepted in the Inter-State Council meeting and where if I am correct. We were very much anxious to pass that we were unable to come to a unanimous decision, in the Bill and I also requested you that this Bill should be Chief Ministers’ Conference we have agreed to constitute passed in this Session, but anyway in the present political a Standing Committee under the chairmanship of the situation, it may not be possible for me to get the Bill Home Minister.