Congress-led SPF stakes claim to form government in Manipur

GUWAHATI: Manipur leader of opposition and three-time former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Thursday wrote to governor to convene a special session of assembly for a floor test for chief minister Biren Singh and staked claim to form the government by newly formed Secular Progressive Front (SPF) under his leadership.
"Or alternatively, since the present ministry is in the minority, it may be dismissed outright and to uphold the principle of democracy and Okram lhobi Singh, leader of the SPF, which commands the majority, may be invited to from the government," Ibobi Singh wrote in the letter to governor Najma Heptulla.
The nine MLAs from BJP’s two allies and from its own ranks who withdrew their support to government on Wednesday have submitted their letters of support to the newly formed SPF to the governor.
Ibobi Singh in his letter said that "BJP-led ministry headed by N Biren Singh had collapsed due to internal wrangling's after four ministers from the National People's Party resigned from the ministry, 3 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs resigned from the membership of the Manipur legislative assembly, while the lone All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and an Independent have withdrawn support to the ministry thereby reducing the present ministry to a minority."
"A No Confidence Motion against the present council of ministers has been moved before the Hon'ble Speaker with a specific request to hold a Special Session of the House to debate, consider and pass a resolution on the motion at the earliest. It is requested that Hon'ble Madam may exercise the powers under Article 174 of the constitution to summon a Special Session of the Manipur legislative assembly at the shortest possible time to vote on the Motion of No Confidence against the present minority Council of Ministers to protect democracy in the state," Ibobi Singh wrote.
The number game
In 2017 election Congress won 28 seats and was the single larget party in the 60-member house. BJP won 21, NPF and NPP won in four seats each, while AITC and LJP won one each and there is one independent. Seven Congress MLAs defected to BJP shortly after the election results were declared.
Another Congress defector has already been disqualified earlier and with these 7 MLAs barred from entering the assembly by Manipur high court, the strength of the Congress in the house is now 20, while that of the BJP after resignation of three of its MLAs on Wednesday had been reduced to 18.
The government at present has only 23 MLAs—18 from BJP, 4 from the NPF and 1 from the LJP.
On the other hand the newly formed SPF has 20 members of Congress, 4 of NPP, 1 of AITC and 1 independent, totaling to 26 members out of an effective total house strength of 49 members.
In the event the speaker gives his ruling in the disqualification cases in favour of the 7 MLAs of Congress, then the effective House strength rises to 56 members. This would also mean that strength of Congress will increase to 27 and that of SPF will rise to 33 MLAs (INC 27, NPP 1, AITC 1 and 1 independent), while the BJP and its coalition partners will continue with a combined strength of 23.