The Governor withdrew the decision just a few hours before the session on the plea to seek legal opinion after the Congress and BJP approached him arguing that the House rules did not allow it.
Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit. (File Photo: IANS)
In an embarrassment for Punjab’s ruling AAP government, Governor Banwarilal Purohit withdrew his decision to summon a special day-long Assembly session to bring a confidence motion on Thursday to “seek confidence of the people of state”.
The Governor withdrew the decision just a few hours before the session on the plea to seek legal opinion after the Congress and BJP approached him arguing that the House rules did not allow it.
Meanwhile, to recall the session most probably by next week, the Cabinet called a hurried meeting here on Thursday.
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It is also learnt that all the 92 legislators will hold a protest march in Chandigarh from the Vidhan Sabha to the residence of the Punjab Governor.
On September 19, the AAP government had decided to convene the special session.
“The people of the state had given thumping majority to our government but some forces inimical to democratic values are trying to lure our MLAs with money. So we have decided to seek confidence from people of state in this special session,” Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said.
He had unequivocally said that AAP MLAs were non-purchasable as they are committed to the ideology of the party, and “nefarious attempts to destabilise the government had failed in Punjab too as the party MLAs are loyal to the people of the state”.
Mann had said this special session will clear the mystery regarding conspiracy to topple the democratically-elected government in Punjab.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal had asked Mann not to enact the drama of a confidence vote, saying bribery allegations could only be verified by an independent inquiry by the CBI or the high court and that no purpose could be achieved by calling a special session of the Vidhan Sabha.
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