Chhattisgarh: No-confidence motion against Raman Singh government defeated by voice-vote

A no-confidence motion moved by the opposition Congress against the ruling BJP government was yet again defeated in the Chhattisgarh Assembly.

Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh (File | PTI)

RAIPUR: A no-confidence motion moved by the opposition Congress against the ruling BJP government was yet again defeated in the Chhattisgarh Assembly.

The motion was rejected by voice-vote at around 2.30 AM Saturday after the marathon debate that continued for almost 15 hours on the last day of the monsoon session of the House.

In December last the Congress sponsored no-confidence motion against the Raman Singh government was defeated after 19 hours of debate during the winter session. In the 90-member House the BJP having 49s and the Congress with 39 legislators, the motion brought barely four months ahead of the Assembly polls was destined to fall flat.

Chief minister Raman Singh lashing out at the Congress said that they failed to deliver the role as responsible and effective opposition. This was the sixth no-confidence motion by the Congress against the Raman Singh government during his three terms in Chhattisgarh.

The Congress party came out with its 15-point 'chargesheet' in the Assembly highlighting the alleged failures and shortcomings against the state government.

"The people will not tolerate the mockery of democracy. The conspiracy to mislead the masses was set to collapse. The no-confidence motion was devoid of facts, unprincipled and unsubstantiated. We will remain here (rule in Chhattisgarh) for another 15 years", Singh asserted while responding to the opposition's charges during the debate.

The House intermittently witnessed noisy scenes amid the charges of corruption and misrule bombarded by the opposition against the ruling BJP. The leader of opposition T S Singhdeo cited that the BJP brings in populism to the fore whenever the elections approach in an attempt to win over them.

"When so many state cabinet ministers had to speak and fiercely defend the government implies a moral victory of our no-confidence motion", he stated. The state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel cited the motion as "an expression of no-confidence of the people who haven't being heard for a decade and a half". The debate began on Friday noon. The Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal on Tuesday last agreed to take up the opposition notice that expressed no-confidence in the council of ministers.