NEW DELHI, 19 August 2003 — Describing the Vajpayee government as “incompetent,” “brazenly corrupt,” whose “days are numbered,” leader of the opposition and Congress party President Sonia Gandhi attacked it for its failure in practically all domains as opposition parties united yesterday to demand a vote of no-confidence against the government, with the move seen as muscle-flexing ahead of crucial elections.

Sonia kicked off a rowdy debate on the no-confidence motion in Parliament’s lower house, where Vajpayee’s Hindu nationalist BJP party and its allies hold a majority.

Observers say the vote, the first faced by Vajpayee’s 24-party National Democratic Alliance (NDA), was the start to campaigning for provincial polls in November and a general election next year.

The NDA has 323 MPs in the 543-seat lower house while the Congress and its allies have 140 members, so the vote is virtually certain to fail. A weekend opinion poll predicted the NDA could secure only 252 seats should general elections be held immediately, while the Congress and its allies could pick up as many as 45 seats.

The Congress rules half of India’s 28 states and the BJP is gearing up for an important electoral battle in November in five politically prestigious states where Sonia’s party currently holds office.

Both the government and opposition eye the no-confidence motion as a prime opportunity to steer public opinion in their favor ahead of the elections.

Observers said Sonia’s Italian origins and Hindu-Muslim riots blamed on the BJP’s rightwing ideologues would come under scrutiny in the debate, expected to last until a vote today.

“This motion is borne out of a deep sense of responsibility for the people of India. There is an inherent danger from this arrogant government, danger to freedom, danger to the tenets of the constitution, danger to the ideas of our founding father,” Sonia said.

“This government is incompetent, insensitive, irresponsible and brazenly corrupt. It has forfeited the trust of the people and its days are numbered,” she said.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani said Sonia’s motion would be a boon to Vajpayee.

“I welcome this opportunity presented to us as it will give us a chance to give a report of what we have done in the past five years,” he said.

“In the past five years, every Indian has felt proud of himself and India has earned respect all over the world,” he said, describing India’s 1998 nuclear tests and last year’s elections in Kashmir as a “turning point” for the nation.

“Don’t undermine the achievements of the past five years,” he said, describing the problems faced by his government as an “inheritance” from previous Congress-run governments.

The surprise no-confidence motion was moved by Sonia Thursday after opposition MPs stalled parliamentary proceedings for days, alleging that Defense Minister George Fernandes had attempted to cover up corrupt arms deals made at the height of a 1999 conflict with Pakistan.