Imphal, March 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led coalition government in Manipur, headed by chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, won the floor test during a voice vote on Monday with the support of 32 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.
Expecting support and cooperation from the members of the assembly, chief minister Biren in his address expressed the willingness to work together and complete the pending works of the previous government.
All the legislators of ruling BJP-coalition partners as well as opposition Congress party were present in the day’s floor test.
BJP, which came second with 21 seats (7 less than Congress just after the election), has the support of the National People’s Party (4), the Naga People’s Front(4), Lok Janshakti Party(1), All India Trinamool Congress(1), Congress (1) and lone Independent MLA — taking its tally to 33 legislators. But the voice of 20 BJP MLAs, 4 each of NPF and NPP, 1 each of LJP, AITC, Congress and Independent proved the majority against 27 Congress MLAs.
But the strength of Congress was reduced to 27 after MLA Th Shyamkumar joined the cabinet of BJP coalition government after his election.
In their separate comments in connection with the election of new speaker, chief minister N Biren, ruling MLAs S Rajen, L Sushindro, opposition leader O Ibobi Singh, opposition members Govindas Konthoujam,K Meghachandra,Md Nasir expressed that the new speaker will conduct proceeding of the assembly without any bias for a better democratic practice.
On Wednesday, Biren was sworn in as the 20th chief minister of Manipur while Shyamkumar along with seven other ministers from the BJP and its alliance partners also took oath after governor Najma Heptulla invited the BJP to form government in the state.
Besides Biren, Th Biswajit is the only BJP MLA in the cabinet. A total of four berths were allotted to NPP, all four of the party’s MLAs were made ministers. The lone Lok Janashakti Party MLA Karam Shyam and Naga People’s Front’s L Dikho, completed the list.
UNC leaders released
President of United Naga Council (UNC), Gaidon Kamei and information and publicity secretary Shangkhel Stephen were released ‘unconditionally’ as per the understanding reached during Sunday’s tripartite talk involving representatives from Delhi, Manipur government and the UNC.
Chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Imphal East Court issued an order in this connection on Monday. The Court has also directed the complainants to appear before the court by March 27 for disposal of the case. Earlier in the morning around 11 am, the UNC leaders were produced before the court. But after hearing the accused counsel, assistant public prosecutor, state government and investigating officers’ decisions, CJM Imphal East in its order said Gaidon Kamei and Shangkhel Stephen were discharged from the liabilities of the case, ‘for the end of the justice’.
Later a reception function of the released UNC leaders was also organised at Senapati district headquarters, 60 km north of Imphal.
Sources here said that around 6 different cases were reportedly registered against the UNC leaders under Mao, Tadubi and Nungba police stations, and they were on judicial remand.
