Shatrughan Sinha is seen to be pushing his boundaries with the BJP leadership. (File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP-led government tomorrow faces a no-confidence motion that it is certain to win and that no one doubts is anything but a chance for both the ruling coalition and opposition parties to score points.
Some of the BJP's own lawmakers may not be such a sure thing - at least that's what the opposition believes.
"It would be interesting to see how some BJP MPs like Shatrughan Sinha and Kirti Azad vote. What are the positions that they take because essentially this might just be, for all practical purposes, the last session of parliament," said Congress leader Manish Tewari.
Rival parties have listed lawmakers who they see as ditching the BJP ahead of state elections and the 2019 national polls. They include Kirti Azad and Shatrughan Sinha, the two lawmakers from Bihar - one of them suspended and the other seen to be pushing his boundaries with the party leadership.
Shatrughan Sinha, however, set speculation at rest by stating he will vote against the no-confidence motion.
“I think there are intellectuals in opposition but they should've done it later. Because we have the numbers and our morale is also up. I haven't left BJP and the party hasn't left me. As long as I'm in BJP, I'll support it and follow every whip,” Mr Sinha told news agency ANI.
The others believed to be upset within the BJP are Savitri Bai Phule, Ashok Dohre, Chhote Lal and Rajkumar Saini.
The BJP's Savitri Bai Phule has earlier targeted her own party governments at the centre and in UP over the treatment of Dalits. (File)
The BJP feels that apart from Savitri Bai Phule, all others will vote for the party.
Two BJP parliamentarians are reportedly unwell and one is abroad.
BJP leaders say the "rebels" need to weight their options carefully with elections just ahead.
"We have the support of all our allies and we will be able to defeat the motion," said Union Minister Ananth Kumar on Wednesday.
The BJP-led coalition counts 312 members in the 535-member Lok Sabha, including 274 of the BJP. The government needs 268 to clear the test.