1999 No-confidence Motion: How Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA lost by 1 seat

The no-confidence motion in the year 1999 which brought down the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee by just one vote may still give the Narendra Modi government sleepless nights. Even with the former PM losing the confidence of Lok Sabha by just one vote, the BJP with numbers on its side believes that the debate in Lok Sabha on Friday will be a virtual launch pad for its campaign for the general elections and may help it get support from parties outside the ruling NDA.

Read | No Confidence Motion Vote LIVE UPDATES: Narendra Modi-led NDA Government Faces Friday Numbers Test In Monsoon Session Of Parliament As Opposition Seeks To Deal Embarrassment

The tense morning of April 17, 1999, began with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) promising former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that its leaders will support his government. The voting began at around 10:45 am the tension and the buzz in the parliament was palpable.

Moments later the House was called to order and the debate started to wind up. It was time for Mayawati to speak, with tension gripping the hearts of every NDA leader, the BSP chief stood up and said that she would be opposing the government. 

The AIADMK front led by chief minister J Jayalalitha walked out on the NDA and enforced upon a no-confidence motion. Thereafter Vajpayee became the only PM who lost the motion twice and having to lose one with the smallest margin.

The final nail was hit by Saifuddin Soz who resisted his party, the National Conference. The then Orissa Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang also pressed the 'no button'. While Gamang held his post for only a few months, he was yet to resign from the Lower House and used his power to vote against the Vajpayee Government.

Gamang was however hesitant to take credit for his act but Soz showed no inhibition, he rather saw himself as the cause or the person who brought down the "communal" government.

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE 1999 NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION

The 1999 NDA government's chief troubleshooter Pramod Mahajan tried very hard to chase down every vote that was on offer, however, the highly polarised House made it very difficult to get the numbers.  Peasants and Workers Party of India's (PWP) Ramesh Thakur resisted all persuasion all managers of the government. It was neck to neck on till the morning that day, but Mahajan lost a number of votes in the turn of events.

THE MOOD IN PM'S OFFICE

The mood in the Prime Minister's office after the major defeat was predictably glum. Some BJP supporters and leaders tried to corner Mahajan and blame him for the defeat. For many, the unlucky government which was always at the mercy of the 'fickle' AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha had met a much-awaited end.

As soon as one vote difference showed up on the screen there was a minute of stunned silence before the opposition broke into celebrations and loud cheerings. vajpayee raised his hand in a mock salute on seeing the screen. Moments later Vijaya Raje Scindia, the mother of Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje broke down in the PM's office while Vajpayee tried to comfort her.