BJP-led government in Manipur wins trust vote

Our Correspondent
Imphal, Aug. 10 (EMN): The BJP-led coalition government, headed by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, sailed through the trust vote conducted inside Manipur Legislative Assembly on Monday evening.

The vote count stood at 28-16 in favour of the BJP-led coalition.

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Seventeen BJP MLAs (including the deputy speaker), four MLAs each of NPP and NPF, one each of LJP, AITC and Independent were present in the day’s session; while 16 opposition Congress MLAs (out of 24) were present.

Manipur Assembly Speaker Y Khemchand presided over the day-long session.

Earlier in the day, the 11th session of the assembly began with obituary reference to former Manipur Governor Ved Prakash Marwah and two former members of the Manipur Assembly, Dr. Leishangthem Chandramani Singh and Danny Shaiza.

The crucial one-day session of the Manipur Assembly was called on Monday to decide on the confidence motion moved by the Chief Minister.

The spokesperson of the Opposition Congress in Manipur, Ningombam Bupenda Meitei, said that instead of accepting the no-confidence motion moved by the Congress, the Manipur Assembly had accepted the motion of confidence moved by the BJP government.

The ruling coalition and the main opposition Congress had issued separate whips to their members to attend the Assembly on Monday and vote following their respective party lines.

A noisy scene was witnessed in the House after the BJP-led alliance won the confidence motion.

The Manipur government had plunged into a serious political crisis on June 17 after the four-member National People’s Party (NPP), the sole Trinamool Congress MLA, and an Independent MLA withdrew their support while three BJP MLAs quit the party and joined the Congress.

The nine-day-long political crisis ended with the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national President JP Nadda, Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP national President Conrad K Sangma and Assam Minister and North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The effective strength of the Manipur assembly is 53, including Speaker Y Khemchand Singh, following the disqualification of four members, including former minister Th Shyamkumar and the resignation of three BJP MLAs.

The disqualification of Trinamool Congress legislator T Robindro by the Speaker was stayed by the Manipur High Court.

During the June 19 Rajya Sabha polls, two Congress MLAs had cross voted to ensure the victory of saffron party nominee and Manipur’s titular Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress had emerged as the single largest party securing 28 seats, but the BJP, which bagged 21 seats, stitched a coalition government with the support of four NPP MLAs, four Naga People’s Front MLAs, the lone TMC MLA and an Independent member.

Seven Congress MLAs also joined the BJP subsequently. Demanding the disqualification of the seven MLAs, the Congress had in January this year filed a petition in the Supreme Court, which had asked the Speaker to take appropriate steps.

With inputs from IANS