A newly formed alliance of opposition parties in Manipur led by the Congress on Thursday submitted a joint memorandum to the governor, seeking a special Assembly session to adopt a resolution on a no-confidence motion against the N Biren Singh-led government.
The development comes a day after three MLAs of the BJP resigned and joined the Congress, and four MLAs of the National People’s Party (NPP), an AITC MLA and an independent MLA withdrew support to the BJP-led coalition government.
On the other hand, the Congress sounded confidence to win the Rajya Sabha seat and also topple the BJP from power in Manipur, where it had lost the chance to form government in 2017 despite emerging as the single-largest party in the state polls.
The BJP has fielded Manipur’s titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba while the Congress depends on veteran T Mangi Babu in the Rajya Sabha election.
In a truncated Manipur Assembly, where only 49 MLAs can vote in the present situation, the Congress claims to have support of 26 MLAs and the BJP has assured support of 23 legislators.
“With 7 MLAs of the INC barred from entering the House by the High Court of Manipur, the strength of the INC in the House is now 20 MLAs while the strength of the BJP is 18 after the resignation of three of its MLAs. The present Ministry is now supported by only 23 MLAs, 18 from BJP, 4 Naga People’s Front (NPF) and one Lokjanshakti Party,” the SPF said in their memorandum.
The memorandum to Governor Dr Najma Heptulla was submitted by a team of senior Congress MLAs and state NPP president Thangminlen Kipgen on Thursday afternoon. The alliance is named Secular Progressive Front (SPF).
The SPF has sought summoning a special Assembly session for a floor test to prove their majority.
[splco_spacer]
2017 Manipur Assembly Results – Partywise
[splco_spacer]
Meanwhile, the Manipur Assembly speaker accepted the resignation of the three BJP MLAs who had defected to the Congress on Wednesday. Sources said the trio are not expected to vote in Friday’s RS polls.
Immediately after the election, one Congress MLA defected to the BJP who was later disqualified. Seven other Congress MLAs had pledged support to the Biren Singh government and are now barred from entering the Assembly.
On Thursday, the High Court issued an order to keep on hold the announcement of judgment on the disqualification petitions of these seven Congress turncoats.
The Speaker’s Tribunal conducted the hearing of the petitions and was supposed to announce the judgement on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA K Meghachandra submitted a notice to Manipur Assembly Secretary citing relevant rules for the removal of Speaker Yumnam Khemchand. The notice was supported by 10 other MLAs, including those from the NPP.
The notice, the Congress said, was primarily to pre-empt the Speaker from taking action against its seven “rebel” MLAs barred by the court from entering the Assembly.
“This motion for removal… is necessitated for the reason that the Speaker has conducted himself in a manner unbecoming of the position held by him and his actions are not only unconstitutional but also illegal,” said Meghachandra.
[splco_spacer]
