The Devendra Fadnavis government managed to win a confidence motion by voice vote in what is being seen as a shrewd game plan involving the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP. Conventionally a division or actual voting is called for when a confidence motion is moved. This gives the government a moral and legal sanction to govern. But in this case Haribhau Bagde, who was elected speaker of the new assembly, called for a voice vote and apparently neither the Congress nor the Shiv Sena pressed for a division, declared the motion as passed, leaving the Congress bewildered and the BJP government with a blot on its face the first day itself.

What was the sequence of events?After Haribhau Bagde of the BJP was elected speaker unanimously after the Sena and Congress candidates withdrew, there were speeches congratulating the speaker. Next on the agenda was election of the leader of the opposition. But the speaker said since Sena's position was not known, he would pass on to the confidence motion. There was commotion in the House, the Sena walked out in protest and by this time the confidence motion was moved by Ashish Shelar of the BJP and within no time the motion was declared passed by the Speaker.

Why didn't the Sena or Congress press for division?The Sena had walked out of the House just before the confidence motion was called for. By the time they realised it and returned, the motion was declared passed by voice vote. The CLP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil was trying to make himself heard but no one listened since some Congress MLAs were shouting in the well of the House.

So was it a perfectly executed game plan?That is what it looks like. The NCP says the Congress and Sena did not demand a vote at the right time. BJP leaders told dna that the day's proceedings were stage-managed including the walk-out by the Sena.

How did a voice vote help BJP, Sena and NCP?The NCP was saved the trouble of actually voting for the BJP. The BJP did not want to take support from NCP for survival. The Sena was saved the trouble of voting against the government since talks are still on about joining the government which might happen before the winter session starts on December 8. If Sena had voted against BJP, they would have lost any bargaining power with BJP.