By IANS,
Shillong : Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope Monday admitted a no-confidence motion moved by the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) against the ruling Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government.
“Since the government has failed on all development fronts including maintaining of law and order and continuous financial crisis, there is a need to bring the no-confidence motion,” Leader of Opposition Conrad K. Sangma said, while moving the motion.
The no-confidence motion was supported by the entire opposition, barring independent legislator Manas Chaudhuri and suspended NCP legislator Adolf Lu Hitler R Marak.
“Our intention is not to topple this government and we don’t even have the numbers, but the no-confidence motion will highlight the various lapses of the government,” Conrad said.
However, the treasury members objected to the no-confidence motion saying that there was no abnormal situation that warrants it.
“It is too early to compare the performance of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma as his tenure has been too short. We are all satisfied with the overall performance of the government and we do not see any exigency to bring a no confidence motion at this juncture,” former chief minister and Congress leader D.D. Lapang said.
Agreeing to face the no-confidence motion, Chief Minister Sangma said: “We have no reasons to say no to your no confidence and we will face it and the government is not afraid of it.”
The speaker said he was just going by the rules in admitting the motion and the date and the timing for the motion will be intimated.
Meanwhile, the both the ruling and the opposition parties have issued a three-line party whip to their party legislators asking them to be present in the house during the current session.
The Congress, which has 28 legislators, enjoys the support of nine United Democratic Party (UDP), two Hill State People’s Democratic Party, four Independent legislators and one Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement member. The NCP has 15 members in the 60-seat assembly.