Punjab: Bhagwant Mann govt wins confidence motion amid walkout by Congress members
Chandigarh, Oct 3: The Punjab Assembly on Monday "unanimously" passed the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on September 27, even as Congress members staged a walkout.
The BJP members have already announced to boycott the assembly session.
After a lengthy discussion on the confidence motion, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan put it to vote. He asked MLAs to raise hands who were in support, and then asked those who were against the motion of confidence.
Announcing the results, Sandhwan said 91 AAP MLAs supported the motion.
He also said one of the three SAD MLAs who was present in the House and a lone BSP MLA did not oppose the motion.
No Congress, BJP or lone Independent MLA was present in the House at the time of voting.
AAP has 92 MLAs, including the Speaker, in the House.
"So, 93 MLAs have supported the motion and none is against it. Thus, the motion is unanimously passed," the Speaker said.
In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the AAP has 92 members, Congress 18, SAD 3, BJP 2, BSP 1 while 1 is an Independent.
The assembly had taken up discussion on confidence motion, with AAP MLAs hitting out at the BJP over "Operation Lotus", alleging a bid to topple the six-month-old government.
The AAP had earlier claimed that at least 10 of its MLAs were approached by the BJP with an offer of Rs 25 crore to each of them in a bid to topple the Mann government under its "Operation Lotus".
However, as the discussion began, Congress MLAs staged a walkout, as they were demanding that the Speaker should allot them time to speak and raise issues during the Zero Hour.
The two BJP MLAs Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan -- have been boycotting the session as they accused the AAP government of violating the Constitution by bringing the confidence motion in the assembly.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
