The Opposition Congress in Manipur has demanded a fresh trust vote in the State Assembly, rejecting the “inconclusive and procedurally illegal” vote of confidence on August 10.
In a representation to Governor Najma Heptulla on Friday, former chief minister and leader of the Congress Legislature Party Okram Ibobi sought a special Assembly session under Article 174 of the Constitution to conduct a trust vote. This, he said, was necessary as the trust vote four days ago violated laid-down rules and Supreme Court judgements.
The six-page letter cited violations of two rules of the ‘Procedures & Conduction of Business of Manipur Assembly’ and two judgments by the apex court — one of the Union of India against former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat in 2016 and the other of current Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan versus his State’s Assembly Speaker this year.
“Mr. Ibobi’s letter to the Governor is a clear reflection of the unprecedented Constitutional blunder committed on the floor of the House, proving that there was no bona fide trust vote with counting of votes,” said Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei.
The former chief minister had earlier said the August 10 trust vote conducted by Speaker Yumnam Khemchand was a “murder of democracy” besides abuse of the chair of the Speaker and belittled both the Constitution and the Supreme Court.
“We expect the Governor to intervene,” Mr. Meitei said.
Resignation accepted
Earlier in the day, Mr. Khemchand accepted the resignation of Paonam Brojen, who was in 2017 elected on a Congress ticket from the Wangjing Tentha Assembly constituency.
Mr. Brojen had submitted his resignation on August 10 along with five other Congress MLAs, whose resignations were accepted promptly.
Mr. Khemchand also dismissed a disqualification petition by the Congress against Mr. Brojen. “The petition pending in the Speaker’s Tribunal was dismissed because there was no evidence against him having joined the Bharatiya Janata Party,” he said.
The Speaker said there are now 13 vacant seats in the 60-member Assembly after Mr. Brojen’s resignation.