Ruling members absent from Assembly session

IMPHAL, February 14: The winter session of the state Assembly was reconvened today with the entire ruling group including the Samata Party MLAs and an Independent MLA supporting the Nipamacha government, staying away from the proceedings. This was the first in the state's history that a House session was conducted without its leader and ruling members attending it. The House was later adjourned sine die by Speaker Dr. S Dhananjoy after reading out a communication from the Governor, Ved Prakash Marwah, concerning the Chief Minister's resignation letter tendered to him yesterday. The House earlier took obituary reference regarding the demise of the Samata Party MLA, Wangkhem Basantakumar and the devastating earthquake in Gujarat, which claimed thousands of victims. BJP legislature party leader RK Dorendro Singh, ex-Speaker Haobam Borobabu (BJP), Rishang Keishing of Congress I, T Chaoba of MSCP, MLA M Hemanta, L Jatra and Speaker Dr. Sapam Dhananjoy read out the obituary references. All the ruling MSCP MLAs still loyal to Chief Minister Wahengbam Nipamacha, partner FPM MLAs and the 12 Samata Party, MLAs who yesterday walked into the ruling camp, and the lone Independent MLA W Leima Devi were among those absent from the House. The lone JD (S) member Khwairakpam Loken Singh also did not attend the session. On the other hand, Opposition members belonging to BJP, Manipur People's Party, Nationalist Congress Party and the MSCP MLAs who recently joined the Opposition camp under the leadership of M Hemanta, attended the session. When the House proceeded to the business session and the pending no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister was brought up, the Speaker read out a communication from the Governor concerning the Chief Minister's resignation letter and his subsequent acceptance. The Assembly session was adjourned by the Speaker sine die as the no confidence motion no longer had any relevance following the resignation of the Chief Minister.