Vajpayee

April 17, 1999
Web posted at: 8:52 a.m. EDT (0952 GMT)

In this story: Elections could be called Sonia Gandhi could become prime minister RELATED STORIES, SITES

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was expected to submit his resignation Saturday, after his crisis-plagued government fell, when it lost a vote of confidence in parliament by a single ballot.

The count vote was 269 votes in favor of a motion expressing confidence in the coalition led by Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party, and 270 votes against. The number of abstentions was not announced.

Vajpayee convened a cabinet meeting after the vote.

"The result of the division is ayes 269, noes 270. Noes have it, noes have it, noes have it," speaker Ganti Balayogi declared after a second ballot was held to clear up doubts over the verdict of the initial, electronic vote.

The vote, which followed two days of debate and frantic maneuvering for support by parties on both sides, was always on a knife edge. But on Friday it appeared the government might have won just enough support to survive the vote.

Sharad Pawar, a senior member of the main opposition Congress party, immediately told reporters that his party would try to form a viable alternative government.

India's coalition government lost a vote of confidence by a single vote

The challenge to Vajpayee's 13-month-old coalition government came after a key partner, which controls 19 lower House seats, quit the alliance led by his Bharatiya Janata Party.

After Vajpayee resigns, new elections may be called, four years ahead of schedule.

Earlier, Vajpayee attacked what he described as the political opportunism of disparate parties who had joined together to try to unseat him.

Standing behind his desk on the floor of parliament, Vajpayee told a hushed chamber that "today a negative approach is being followed to remove us."

Chiding his opponents, who represent a broad political spectrum, he asked them what kind of alliance they hoped to build. "Is it inspired by one common thought? Is there a common program? Is there a common leader?"

Debate on the confidence motion began Thursday.

The second confidence vote in Vajpayee's 13-month administration came after the withdrawal of support by a powerful regional ally, known by its Tamil acronym of AIADMK.

India's main opposition leader Sonia Gandhi, right, greets supporters at her residence in New Delhi

The main opposition Congress party had said Friday it would form a government if Vajpayee lost the vote. Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born widow of slain Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, would likely become prime minister.

However, it may not be easy for the opposition to garner support for a coalition among the many small and fractious parties in India's parliament.

If no party can assemble a new coalition, India would go to the polls. Since 1991, India has held three general elections. None produced a clear majority.

The confidence vote sent the stock market reeling. The Bombay Stock Exchange sensitive index immediately lost 29 points, just under 1 percent. On Friday, the market surged on news that the government had won crucial support and might pull through the vote.

Since 1991, India has held three general elections. None produced a clear majority.

Just after the vote, a mood of confusion swept over the parliament. Several deputies appeared to be arguing that their vote had not been counted in the electronic system.

The speaker then ruled a new vote would be held using ballots.

The ruling coalition -- India's fifth government in three years -- had earlier appeared to scrape through after it won over a former disgruntled ally and two regional parties.

CNN producer Nandini Kochar in New Delhi, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

The Indian Parliment Home Page
Bharatiya Janata Party

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.