Giving impetus to “the restructured third front” were the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) of Ajit Singh and Janata Dal (S) president H D Deve Gowda who formally announced their decision to go against the Government.

Telengana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president  Chandrashekhar Rao has already sided with the BSP-Left-TDP combine. RLD leader Ajit Singh emerged out  on Sunday as a big “turn coat”, deserting the “UPA ship” within a few days after having got the Lucknow airport renamed after his father the late Prime Minister Charan Singh.
Emerging as “the alternate Prime Minister” for the third front, BSP president Mayawati hogged the limelight and declared here in the presence of  the CPM general secretary, TDP president  N Chandrababu Naidu and CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, that “the one point programme” was to defeat the trust motion and force out the Congress-led government at the Centre.

Indian National Lok Dal’s Ajay Chautala, Asom Gona Parishad’s Brindavan Goswami, Jharkhand leader Babulal Marandi and CPI leader D Raja were also present at the meeting which devised the strategy to topple the UPA government.

Karat said future strategy would be discussed a day after the trust vote on July 23 when all the leaders are meeting to assess the political scenario.

Amidst charges of “sale and purchase,” the BSP chief dared SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav to disclose who has purchased whom and where. “Mulayam Singh ji batayen ki kisnai, kisko, kahan aur kitne main kharida hain” (Mulayam should tell who has purchased whom, at which place and in what price), she thundered.
Earlier in the day, Party general secretary Amar Singh claimed that 7 to 8 BSP MPs were inside his residence. Around 13  of the 39 SP MPs were present during the press conference addressed by Yadav and Singh.
Mayawati dismissed the claim  that  the BSP men are supporting the UPA saying that all 17 MPs of the BSP attended the Parliamentary party meeting here on Sunday.

As the evening progressed, SP general secretary paraded before the press its “saffron catch” –  the BJP MP Brij Bhusan Saran Singh – who is now pledged to back the UPA government.

A known critic of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the MP from Gujarat has already been suspended by the BJP.
As the fresh re-alignment of the third front with Mayawati at the Centre firmed up on Sunday, the ties between the SP and the erstwhile friends Left parties  further nose-dived with the SP president charging the leaders of the Left parties, the BJP, the BSP and the UNPA with ganging up to indulge in “dirty politics.”

Trust vote over the years

Although there have been 17 trust motions in the Lok Sabha so far, it became frequent in the coalition era, which began in 1977. Interestingly, no Congress PM has so far lost any trust/no trust motion.

MORARJI DESAI (March 1977-July 1979): The first non-Congress experiment fell after deputy PM and home minister Charan Singh pulled the plug. Also involved was the issue of dual membership of Jan Sangh members who were also part of the RSS.

CHARAN SINGH (July 1979-Jan 1980): Within 24 days, fell victim to the Congress decision to withdraw support on the issue of “mismanagement of economy”. Only PM not to have faced Parliament. Continued (as caretaker PM) till elections in Jan 1980.

V P SINGH (Dec 1989-Nov 1990): National Front PM supported by the BJP and the Left. Was defeated in the confidence vote 142-346 after Chandra Shekhar rebelled, supported by the Congress. The BJP pulled out on the issue of arrest of L K Advani during the Rath Yatra.

CHANDRA SHEKHAR (Nov 1990-June 1991): Fell as the Congress
withdrew support charging that his government was spying
on its leaders,including Rajiv Gandhi.

A B VAJPAYEE (May 16-June 1, 1996): The first-ever BJP government
after the party emerged the single largest. The 13-day government lost out as it could not prove its majority. Vajpayee resigned before facing
confidence vote.

H D DEVE GOWDA (June 1996-April 1997): The United Front government chose him after the CPM refused to let its veteran Jyoti Basu become PM, was supported by both the Congress and the Left. Had to go as the Congress demanded a change of PM, charged Gowda with attempting to split party. Resigned after delivering a speech but before the motion was put to vote.

I K GUJRAL (April -Nov 1997): Replaced Gowda but had to go as the Congress pulled out demanding that the DMK should go out of government as a leaked Jain Commission report pointed to DMK involvement in the Rajiv killing. Gujral refused and resigned.

A B VAJPAYEE (March 1998-April 1999): The 13-month government came up after the TDP and the AIADMK supported it. Lost power as J Jayalalitha withdrew support, ostensibly for neglect of Tamil Nadu interests. The government fell in the most dramatic fashion in Indian parliamentary history, by one vote.