The Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in Manipur on Monday won the vote of confidence moved by Chief Minister N Biren Singh during the special one-day session of the Assembly, PTI reported.
Eight Congress MLAs skipped the session, defying a party whip. The 60-member Manipur Assembly currently has a strength of 53 after the resignation of three BJP MLAs and disqualification of four members under the anti-defection law. The ruling coalition has 29 MLAs, including Speaker Y Khemchand, while the Congress has 24.
The Congress had submitted a motion of no confidence against the state government on July 28. Singh, who was certain of winning, decided to move a trust vote and retained power.
Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh alleged there had been “poll code violations” after the results and said “democracy was murdered”, NDTV reported. “There is no rule of law in Manipur,” he added. “We are demanding division of vote. They [BJP] don’t like it. Within the ruling party, a lot of people don’t like this government.”
The Congress also opposed the Speaker’s decision to hold a voice vote.
While BJP leader Ram Madhav congratulated Singh, Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei slammed the saffron party. “Banning live streaming of the trust vote is a murder of media, the 4th pillar of democracy,” Meitei tweeted. “The whole 11th session of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly today was kept in dark from the eyes of the people of Manipur by [the] Speaker and BJP government.”
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