Bhagwant Mann govt wins confidence motion amid walkout by Congress members

The Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab on Monday won the vote of confidence, an expected outcome, with thumping majority as 91 of the ruling party legislators voted in support of the motion.

The confidence motion, which was moved by Chief Minister Mann on September 27 after the ruling party accused the BJP of trying to topple the state government, saw main opposition Congress abstaining during the voting. The BJP already announced to boycott the assembly session as it had accused the AAP government of violating the Constitution by bringing the confidence motion in the assembly.

Congress MLAs staged a walkout from the House on another issue.

During the discussion on confidence motion, AAP MLAs hit out at the BJP, saying after Delhi their "Operation Lotus", a bid to topple the government, also failed in Punjab.

After a lengthy discussion on the motion, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan put it to vote in the House on the concluding day of brief session. He asked MLAs to raise hands who were in support of, and then asked those who were against the motion of confidence.

Announcing the results, Speaker 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.

"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 Assembly, the AAP has 92 MLAs, including the Speaker, Congress 18, SAD 3, BJP 2, BSP 1 while 1 is an Independent.

Later, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali, who was present during the voting, said he had opposed the motion. He also said that he informed the Speaker about his decision.

The SAD legislature wing said it opposed the confidence motion, asserting that it (motion) was a farce and that there were other urgent issues which should have been taken up for discussion.

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 six-month-old government under its "Operation Lotus".

As the discussion began on the motion, 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.

The confidence motion was moved by Mann on the opening day of the assembly session and then he targeted the BJP over its alleged "Operation Lotus" and the Congress for allegedly being hand-in-glove with the saffron party.

Taking part in the discussion on Monday, the chief minister said that people of Punjab reposed their trust in AAP this time and that trust was not a commodity, which can be purchased.

Mann questioned why opposition Congress and BJP ran away from discussion.

Hitting out at BJP, Mann alleged that loktantra (democracy) is being made into "paisatantra" and "loot tantra".

On "Operation Lotus", Mann alleged that attempts are being made to throttle democracy.

"The country faces two threats -- one internal and another external. Internal threat is very dangerous, this is what is going on in the country at this time," he said.

Mann said that Congress MLAs who walked out from the House should have remained present and supported the motion because their party in many states has seen legislators joining the BJP.

AAP MLA Sheetal Angural was the first one to take part in the discussion on Monday. Angural said he has submitted to the State Vigilance Bureau all details, including call recording and mobile phone number, besides a "sting" he did when three people, who claimed to be meeting him on BJP's behalf, had met him recently and offered money and position under "Operation Lotus".

Angural claimed that he also did a sting in which those who met him could be heard as saying that they will "arrange" a meeting with a BJP leader "who will seal the deal".

"They may use any tactics, but Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal's team is honest," he said while hitting out at the BJP.

Attacking the Congress, Angural and some other AAP MLAs said that the grand old party was playing the role of BJP's "B" team.

AAP MLA Dinesh Chadha also hit out at the Congress and said, "We saw what happened in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Goa, the party whose MLAs have switched over the most should have said that they support this confidence motion. Rather, Congress MLAs claim there is no provision in the Constitution for bringing confidence motion."

Senior AAP MLA Baljinder Kaur also hit out at BJP over "Operation Lotus", saying the saffron party feels they can form governments everywhere on the basis of "money power".

"But first in Delhi and now in Punjab, their operation has failed," she said.

Another AAP MLA Prof Budhram equated BJP with "serial killer" of democracy.

Earlier, Speaker Sandhwan on Monday allotted two hours' time for discussion on the confidence motion.

Last week, the BJP had accused the AAP of "betraying" Governor Banwarilal Purohit and running away from discussion on burning issues of the state.

The Congress had also questioned the AAP government's move of bringing the confidence motion while stating that no rule in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha allowed the ruling party to bring such a motion.

The assembly session was convened after the governor on September 25 gave his nod to summon the House on September 27 after days of squabble between the Raj Bhavan and the AAP government over holding a session of the assembly.

The governor had withdrawn the permission to hold a special session on September 22 when the AAP government wanted to bring a confidence motion.