The Congress in Manipur has staked claim to form the Nonreligious Progressive Front (SPF) government after a special session of the 60- member Assembly for a no-confidence movement against the Ministry led by Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren.
9 MLAs, including three of the Bharatiya Janata Party, had on Wednesday night withdrawn assistance to Mr Biren and reduced the BJP-led federal government to a minority.
A group of Congress, National Individuals’s Party (NPP) and Trinamool Congress MLAs led by previous Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh fulfilled Guv Najma Heptulla on Thursday afternoon looking for the replacement of the BJP-led coalition.
Mr Singh explained that the Congress has 20 MLAs with seven of its lawmakers disallowed from entering the House by the High Court of Manipur while the strength of the BJP is 18 after the resignation of three of its MLAs, decreasing the effective strength of the House to 49 with another Congress MLA– former Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar– having actually been disqualified previously for defecting to the BJP.
The present Ministry has 23 MLAs with 4 from the Naga Peo