SPF urges Governor to convene House for no-trust vote
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 18 2020: Congress party and its allies have reconstituted Secular Progressive Front (SPF) with ex-Chief Minister O Ibobi as its leader and urged Governor Najma Heptulla to convene a special session of Assembly.

Apart from Congress, NPP which has four MLAs, Trinamool Congress which has one MLA and an Independent MLA are partners of the new political alliance floated today.

Speaking to media persons at a Congress camp here this evening, ex-Chief Minister O Ibobi who is leading the SPF said that if the people of Manipur want a new Government in place of the incumbent Government, the new Government would also be a coalition Government because no single party has enough MLAs to form Government on their own.

SPF urges Governor to convene House for no-trust vote

The previous Congress-led Governments which lasted for 10 years were named SPF-I and SPF-II before Congress party formed the Government on its own for the next five years.

In the wake of the sudden political development seen in the State yesterday, secular and like-minded political parties/MLAs held a joint meeting today and SPF was reconstituted, Ibobi said.

The meeting agreed to draw up a common minimum programme in case SPF is given an opportunity to form Government, said the ex-Chief Minister.

He said that memoranda have been submitted to the Governor and the Assembly Speaker this afternoon to convene a special session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly and hold a floor test of Chief Minister N Biren's Government.

The Governor has been requested to summon a special session of the Assembly at the shortest possible time to vote on the no confidence motion moved against the present 'minority' Council of Ministers to protect democracy in the State, Ibobi said.

Congress party was saying that it would remain as a constructive Opposition party.

Other partners of the ruling coalition would be knowing the reason behind NPP's withdrawal from the coalition, he continued.

"We did not call them out.

We have joined hands for NPP had already come out of the coalition", Ibobi said.

"If the four NPP MLAs, one AITC MLA and one Independent MLA are added to the Congress tally, we would be commanding majority in the House.

Both the BJP-led coalition and the SPF should be allowed to prove their majority on the floor of the House", Ibobi said.

"If the incumbent Government can prove majority, it may continue to its full term", he said.

Ibobi informed that they have obtained an appointment with the Governor at 5 pm tomorrow.

To a query, the CLP leader said that there are 27 Congress MLAs in total.

"The SPF formed today is not a totally new one but the fourth incarnation of a similar alliance and I have fair experience of running a coalition Government", Ibobi claimed.