The Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab tabled the confidence motion during Tuesday’s special Assembly session, reported The Tribune.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on September 19 had asked for a majority test to dissuade speculation of its MLAs being poached. The AAP has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to topple its government in Punjab by offering bribes to at least ten of its legislators.
Mann had proposed a special Assembly session for September 22, which Governor Banwarilal Purohit denied citing the absence of specific rules regarding summoning the House only for a confidence motion. The chief minister then decided to convene an Assembly session on Tuesday. He said that issues such as stubble burning and electricity distribution will be discussed.
On Tuesday, Congress and Akali Dal protested when Mann introduced the confidence motion, reported the Hindustan Times. Punjab’s Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said that it challenges the governor’s powers, reported NDTV.
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused AAP of misleading the House by tabling the confidence motion, reported ANI.
“They called the session on three issues – Goods and Services Tax, power, stubble burning – but they didn’t talk about it,” Warring said after the session concluded. “They have misled the House, Governor and people of Punjab. If they want to bring a confidence motion, they should dissolve the House and go for fresh polls.”
BJP MLAs Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan also staged a walkout from the House as no legislators from their party were included in the Business Advisory Committee, reported the Hindustan Times.
The House was adjourned after the Opposition protested. However, when it was reconvened, Mann proposed the trust vote once again, reported The Tribune.
Mann accused Congress of covertly working with the BJP as the Opposition protested the motion, ANI reported.
“Today, there was a partnership between BJP and Congress,” Mann told the media after the session concluded. “Their [BJP] ‘Operation Lotus’ failed in Punjab. Let alone BJP, even Congress didn’t let the House function. Somewhere, something is wrong... they [BJP and Congress] are sharing MLAs.”
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