BJP defeats no-confidence vote

Prime Minister Modi’s BJP comfortably defeated the vote of no-confidence initiated by opposition parties on Friday. The result isn’t a major surprise given that the BJP holds a majority in the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament). In fact, the overall outcome, in which the government secured 325 votes compared to the opposition’s 126, should provide some assurance to PM Modi that he also retains the backing of several other parties as part of the wider ruling coalition, the National Democratic Alliance. In all, PM Modi appears to be heading into next year’s general election on a sound footing. However, the no-confidence motion is unlikely to be the only disruptive tactic used in parliament prior to the election. This dampens the prospects for significant reform in the near term.