The newly formed alliance of the opposition party led by Congress on Thursday submitted memorandum to the Governor of Manipur, Najma Heptulla seeking a special assembly session to adopt a resolution on a no confidence motion against Biren Singh-led BJP government.
A team of senior Congress MLAs, including a senior member, and president of National People’s Party (NPP) Thangminlen Kipgen, submitted the memorandum on Thursday afternoon. However, the opposition team, however, told reporters that they could not meet the governor in person. Later in the evening, former Chief Minister of Manipur, Okram Ibobi Singh, said the governor had given her consent to meet the alliance on Friday after the Rajya Sabha Poll.
The former CM, speaking to media, said an alliance namely Secular Progressive Front (SPF) was formed with the support of four NPP and the lone Trinamool and the independent MLA from Jiribam.
Responding to a query whether the congress party had any discussion with the Central leaders of NPP, Ibobi said that it is known to all that the NPP MLA’s have to take the approval of their party leader before they withdraw their support to the state government.
Ibobi said, “As of today, we can claim that the effective strength of the congress in the house is 27”. However, the resignations of the three BJP MLAs defected to Congress have been accepted by the state Assembly.
The alliance in the memorandum claimed that the BJP led Ministry led by N Biren Singh had collapsed due to internal wrangling after a substantial number of BJP ally withdrew their support coupled with the resignations of three MLAs from the BJP.
“With 7 MLAs of the INC barred from entering the House by the High Court of Manipur, the strength of the INC in the House is now 20 MLAs while the strength of the BJP is 18 after the resignation of three of its MLAs. The present Ministry is now supported by only 23 MLAs, 18 from BJP, 4 Naga People’s Front (NPF) and one Lokjanshakti Party”, pointed out the alliance. “In the event of the disqualification of the 7 defected Congress MLAs who are facing disqualification in the Manipur Speaker’s Tribunal, ruled in Congress favour the Congress the SPF number will grow to 33 and the strength of the House will rise to 56”, added the alliance. As such, the SPF sought for summoning a special Assembly session for a floor test to prove their majority, it said.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA K Meghachandra also submitted a notice to Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretary citing relevant rules for the removal of Speaker Yumnam Khemchand. The notice was supported by 10 other MLAs, including those of the NPP.
Meghachandra cited Article 179 (C) of the Constitution of India in the notice to make the Speaker powerless in disqualifying MLAs because of the vote for removal pending against him. The notice, the Congress said, was primarily to pre-empt the Speaker from taking action against its seven “rebel” MLAs barred by the court from entering the Assembly.
“This motion for removal is necessitated for the reason that the Speaker has conducted himself in a manner unbecoming of the position held by him and his actions are not only unconstitutional but also illegal,” said Meghachandra.
