GUWAHATI: Manipur’s BJP-led coalition government survived on Monday as Chief Minister N Biren Singh won the motion of confidence via voice vote.
He moved the motion of confidence after a no-trust motion had been moved by the opposition Congress. Eight Congress MLAs abstained from voting defying a whip issued by the party.
At the end of the trust vote, the Congress legislators staged a protest in the House as Speaker Khemchand Singh went for a voice vote and not “division vote”. In a tweet, BJP leader Ram Madhav said the Congress MLAs had thrown chairs at the well of the House during the protest.
Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh alleged the manner in which the Speaker was functioning, it was the “murder of democracy”.
“We knew the ruling party will have a comfortable majority, yet we demanded division vote as it is our right but they didn’t accept it,” he said.
The strength of the 60-member Manipur House was reduced to 53 after the Speaker had disqualified four members under the anti-defection law while three BJP MLAs resigned from the House in June.
Currently, the Congress has 24 MLAs, BJP 18, National People’s Party (NPP) four, Naga People’s Front four, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) one, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) one and there is an Independent.
The Congress had moved the no-confidence motion on July 28. It had made a similar demand in June as well when the three BJP MLAs resigned and six others – all four from the NPP and the AITC and the independent MLAs – withdrew support to the government. Last month, the NPP MLAs returned to the coalition.
Meanwhile, the Congress criticised the government for “banning” live telecast of the Assembly proceedings.
“We, from the Congress party, wanted to raise serious issues…and wanted people to see our debates live on TV. But the live telecast by DD was banned. How can the people of Manipur be prevented from watching assembly session live on TV in 2020? Why should not the people be allowed to watch the live proceedings in a democracy? Congress spokesman Ningombam Bupenda Meitei asked.