Keishing Govt Voted Out, Speaker Invited To Form Ministry

Manipur State Congress leader W Nipamacha Singh was yesterday invited to form a ministry by the governor after the 35-month-old Congress ministry, headed by Rishang Keishing, was voted out of power in the state assembly.

The motion was defeated by 38 votes to 16 at a special session of the legislative assembly.

Thirty-eight members of the newly-formed United Front led by Nipamacha Singh voted against the motion moved by the Chief Minister.

Twenty-three of the 38 Congress MLAs broke away from the party on December 6 and formed the Manipur state Congress with former assembly speaker W Nipamacha Singh as leader of the partys legislature group. The Gauhati High Court, however, stayed the recognition of the Manipur State Congress by the deputy speaker.

 

The political crisis in the state erupted on November 23 following a demand for a change in the leadership of Keishing. The motion was first put to voice vote, but the members pressed for a division.Eleven MPP, 23 Manipur State Congress, two Federal Party of Manipur members, two independents and the lone CPI member voted against the motion, while 14 Congress members and two independents supported it.

The effective strength of the 60-member house is 55, with four being disqualified earlier and one killed recently.

The invitation to form a ministry was extended to former assembly speaker Nipamacha Singh when he called on Governor O N Shrivastava yesterday afternoon, official sources said.

Earlier, Keishing met the governor to tender the resignation of his ministry, which was accepted.