Ripples on the brain

I watched the last couple of hours of confidence vote debate (well, yeah there was very little debate in the last 2 hours owing to adjournments). Even during the United Front days (Deve Gowda, I K Gujral), confidence debates used to be interesting, with a lot of speakers talking to the point. Going by the precedent the current confidence vote has set, I don’t think we are going to have such lively debates any longer. The bloc that finds itself in the losing side will start crying foul and prevent proper debates.

1. I watched the debate through CNN IBN’s streaming video. At the time of the vote, the speaker took a voice vote first and then said, “the ayes have it, the ayes have it…” and the opposition pressed for a division. Our friend Sagarika Ghose didn’t understand that a division has been requested. So, she interrupted the live video and announced that the UPA has won the confidence vote before her co-presenter intervened and educated her live in front of the viewers. Not willing to be put down, she said, “But in the view of the speaker, UPA has won”. After the electronic vote was over and the results flashed, Rajdeep came on the screen and mentioned that UPA has probably won. Sagarika Ghose again made her point, “Rajdeep, just to point out, CNN IBN has been predicting for the last 2 days that UPA will win”. Wow, she’s the new Nostradamus.

2. I think there was a confusion in the electronic voting (i.e. 50 odd members didn’t vote) because the instructions were so confusing. I don’t understand why every time confusion reigns at the last minute during the vote. The Secretary General didn’t appear sure on what instructions to read out. He read out only the instructions for voting from the lobby and the Speaker was having a cross-talk with some MP. Suddenly, the electronic voting process began.