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Division of votes, not voice vote, would’ve revealed BJP fault lines, says Manipur Congress

The Manipur Congress is now waiting on Governor Najma Heptullah to act on a memorandum it had submitted on 14 August, calling for another trust vote.

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New Delhi: A division of votes during the vote of confidence on 10 August would have revealed the fault lines in the Biren Singh-led BJP government in Manipur, which is why the Speaker disregarded that request and used a voice vote instead, Congress leaders have claimed.

The Congress in Manipur had submitted a memorandum to Governor Najma Heptulla on 14 August, alleging procedural lapses in the trust vote on 10 August, when eight of its MLAs skipped proceedings.

In its representation, the Congress has urged the Governor to convene a special session of the state assembly for another trust vote, but she is yet to issue any such direction to the Speaker’s office.

“Soon after the debate and when the voting on the motion was to be taken up by the Speaker, the whip of Indian National Congress, Shri Konthoujam Govindas, MLA, and leader of the opposition, Shri Okram Ibobi Singh, MLA, requested the Speaker to decide the motion of confidence by a division under rule 360 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Manipur Legislative Assembly as a whip was issued to the Congress MLAs during the present session,” the memorandum reads.

“However, the Speaker, disregarding the request for a division in the House for the purpose of counting the votes of MLAs present in the House, used a voice vote to decide on the vote of confidence,” the Congress said in its representation to the Manipur Governor.

According to a senior Congress leader, the chief minister was not confident about who will end up voting for whom during the trust vote.

“If a division of vote had taken place, it would have become clear as to how many votes the BJP got,” said the leader. “The CM doesn’t have confidence in his own party and that is why it was felt that a voice vote would be a better option.”

Another Congress leader said that if the Speaker had allowed a division of vote, he could then either ask the MLAs to vote through a show of hands or by standing. “In this case, too, it would have become clear how much support Biren Singh enjoys. He might have still won the trust vote but the fault lines would have become clear,’ said the second leader.

According to sources, days after winning an easy trust vote through a voice vote on 10 August, Chief Minister Biren Singh left for Delhi Sunday, along with six rebel Congress MLAs who had skipped the trust vote proceedings and defied their party whip. They are set to be inducted into the BJP. 

The BJP-led government of Biren Singh won the trust vote by a margin of 28-16. The effective strength in the assembly is 53 members, of whom eight Congress leaders skipped proceedings.


Also read: Manipur withdraws gallantry medal to sub-inspector after arrest in drug case comes to light


Congress banking on governor

The Congress is now hopeful that the Governor will act.

Its memorandum, a copy of which was accessed by ThePrint, alleges procedural lapses violative of Rule 360 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of business in the Manipur Legislative Assembly as well as Supreme Court orders.

“By disallowing the division of the House by the Speaker, the purpose of ascertaining if any member of Congress MLA voted against the whip/direction issued by the party whip was defeated,” the memorandum reads. “It was nothing but the malafide exercise and misuse of the office of Speaker in order to derail the due process of deciding on the Confidence Motion.”

The Congress memorandum also lists Supreme Court judgments in the Harish Rawat and Shivraj Singh Chouhan cases of 2016 and April 2020 respectively, in which the apex court had directed for the division of vote and videography of the proceedings while deciding a motion of confidence.

“The letter by the CLP Leader and Opposition Leader O. Ibobi Singh to Manipur Governor is a clear reflection of the unprecedented Constitutional blunder committed on the floor of the House, proving that there was no bonafide trust vote with the counting of votes,” said Ningombam Bupenda Meitei, the Congress spokesperson in Manipur.

“It was not only the murder of democracy but also the commission of the violations of established procedures, abuse of the Chair of Speaker, destruction of the Constitution and dishonouring of the Supreme Court’s judgments. Congress expects the Governor to intervene.”

The BJP, meanwhile, claims that the session has already concluded and that the Congress should not have reached out to the Governor over the issue.

“The session has already been concluded. How does it matter if we had a division of votes or voice vote?” asked BJP state president of Manipur Tikendra Singh. “They are unnecessarily making a hue and cry. They shouldn’t have sent a memorandum. We have so far not heard anything from the Speaker on this matter. As and when it comes to us, we will discuss the matter.”

Another BJP leader in Manipur said it is the prerogative of the Speaker to decide on such matters and that he followed all rules and regulations. “What was done in Rajasthan? Was it not through voice vote?” he asked. “The Congress is on the verge of complete collapse and is raising irrelevant issues.”


Also read: ‘Targeted for questioning govt’ — Harvard graduate Manipuri activist says after sedition case


 

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