No-confidence motion against BJP govt in Odisha: Congress issues three-line whip for members
by Subadh Nayak · KalingaTVAdvertisement
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha unit of the Congress party on Thursday issued a whip for its Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to attend the on-going monsoon sessions.
The grand old party issued a three-line whip asking all of its 14 members to remain present during the monsoon sessions, which began from today and will continue till September 25.
The party’s three-line whip came after it moved a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led Odisha Government today citing government failures on multiple fronts. Backed by 15 MLAs, it submitted a letter to the Speaker Surama Padhy through the Assembly Secretary Satyabrata Rout.
However, given the numerical landscape, the no-confidence motion will not have any impact on the saffron party as it holds 78 seats, BJD 51 (Nuapada now vacant), Congress 14, CPM 1, and Independents 3.
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After moving the no-confidence motion against the BJP government, the Congress sought the support of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) but Naveen Patnaik, the president of the conch party and the leader of the opposition (LoP) is yet take a decision in this regard.
Meanwhile it is said that backing the motion would help BJD counter Congress’s bid to project itself as the “real opposition”. Not supporting it, however, allows Congress to claim that BJP and BJD share a covert understanding.