Imphal, August 10: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh today will move a motion in the state assembly seeking the confidence of the House on the council of ministers. The floor test in the assembly will decide the fate of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in Manipur. The Congress has issued a whip to all its 24 MLAs to be present in the house and vote against the confidence motion.

The floor test comes barely two months after the Biren Singh-led government came on the verge of losing power following the withdrawal of the support by the four-member NPP (National People's Party), the sole Trinamool Congress MLA, and an Independent MLA, and the defection of three BJP MLAs to the Congress. However, the rebel NPP legislators returned to the coalition following the intervention of senior BJP leaders, including Amit Shah. Manipur Political Crisis: Troubleshooter Himanta Biswa Sarma Ensures No Trouble For NPP-BJP Government.

Also, three BJP MLAs who had joined the Congress resigned from the assembly and one Trinamool MLA was disqualified. In the 2017 Manipur assembly elections, the Congress emerged as the single largest party winning 28 seats, but the BJP, which bagged 21 seats, stitched a coalition government with the support of four NPP members, four Naga People's Front MLAs, the lone TMC MLA and Independent legislator Asab Uddin.

Eight Congress MLAs also joined the BJP, out of which one was disqualified. Demanding disqualification of the seven MLAs, the Congress in January this year had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, which had asked the Speaker to take appropriate steps. However, the Speaker hasn't taken a decision on their disqualification.

In the 60-Member house, the BJP currently has 21 MLAs and has the support of seven Congress turncoats, four legislators of the NPP and NPF each. After losing seven MLAs to the BJP, the Congress's tally has gone down to 20.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 10, 2020 09:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).