The BJP-led Manipur government on Monday won the trust vote 28-16 in the Assembly following a hectic day-long debate after Chief Minister N Biren Singh had moved a confidence motion.
Eight Congress MLAs skipped the proceedings of the house, defying the party whip. The Congress MLAs who were present demanded a division but Speaker Y Khemchand Singh rejected their plea after which angry Congress lawmakers threw chairs in the well of the house.
“We have won the trust vote by voice vote. Whatever the speaker is doing is as per the rules. The opposition MLAs were in less numbers,” Chief Minister Singh told the media after the crucial trust vote.
BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav congratulated Singh soon after the trust motion got the endorsement of the house.
The advisor to the chief minister, Rajat Sethi, said in a tweet: “Devious plans of the Congress to destabilise the government have failed. Congrats CM.”
The crucial one-day session of the Manipur Assembly was called on August 10 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 has accepted the motion of confidence moved by the BJP government.
Meitei said: “Opposition leader O Ibobi Singh has categorically stated that the speaker didn’t allow for division of vote despite all the Congress MLAs demanding the same instead of voice vote in the house. The speaker’s action was totally undemocratic.”
The ruling coalition and the main opposition Congress had issued separate whips to their members to attend the Assembly on August 10 and vote following their respective party lines. A noisy scene was witnessed in the house after the BJP-led alliance won the confidence motion.
