Congress stakes claim to form govt in Manipur; ex-CM Okram Ibobi Singh seeks special Assembly session to prove majority

Imphal: The Congress on Thursday staked claim to form the government in Manipur and wrote to the Governor calling for a floor test to prove their majority in the state Assembly. This came a day after three BJP MLAs resigned and joined Congress while four National People’s Party (NPP) MLAs, an independent MLA and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA also withdrew support to Chief Minister N Biren Singh government. Manipur Congress Legislative Party leader (CLP) Okram Ibobi Singh has written to the Governor, requesting to call a special Assembly session to adopt a resolution on ’no-confidence motion’ against N Biren Singh’s government and to invite the newly formed Secular Progressive Front (SPF) to form the government under his leadership. [caption id=“attachment_8498681” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  The Congress on Thursday staked claim to form the government in Manipur. ANI[/caption] In the letter, Okram Ibobi Singh stated that the strength of the Congress in Manipur Assembly is 20 as seven of its MLAs are barred from entering the House by Manipur High Court. “The present ministry is now supported by only 23 MLAs, 18 from the BJP, four from the NPF and one from the LJSP. On the other hand, SPF has a total of 20 INC MLAs, four NPP MLAs, one MLA of TMC and one independent MLA, totalling 26 members out of an effective total House strength of 49 members,” it said. “In the event of the disqualification cases of seven MLAs of the INC decided by the Speakers Tribunal in their favour, the effective House strength rises to 56 members and the INC and its supporting parties of the SPF will command 33 MLAs (INC 27, NPP 4, AITC 1 and 1 independent), while the BJP and its coalition parties will continue with a combined strength of 23. Thus, the present ministry is now in the minority and to ensure that a floor test is conducted at the earliest… and to summon the House in a couple of days to vote on the no-confidence motion moved against the present Council of Ministers,” Okram Ibobi Singh stated. Earlier, Congress MLA K Meghachandra Singh submitted a notice to the Secretary of Manipur Assembly for the removal of Assembly Speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh for ‘preponing the date for proceedings regarding disqualification of seven Congress MLAs’. These seven MLAs won the election on a Congress ticket in 2017 but defected later to BJP. Meanwhile, four Congress MLAs – Ksh Biren Singh, Sanasam Bira Singh, Paonam Brojen and Y Surchandra Singh – who defected to BJP have returned back to the party. Poll for one Rajya Sabha seat is also scheduled to be held on June 19. In 60-member Manipur Assembly, BJP emerged victorious in the 2017 Assembly elections and N Biren Singh was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the state. BJP had won 21 seats while Congress bagged 28 seats. One Congress MLA, who had defected to BJP, was disqualified by the Speaker tribunal earlier. BJP currently enjoys support from four Naga People’s Front (NPF) MLAs and one legislator of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). After three resignations of three MLAs, BJP has 18 legislators left and have the support of five MLAs.