On the first day of the Monsoon Session, the Congress party in the Odisha Legislative Assembly (OLA) announced its intention to move a no-confidence motion against the Mohan Majhi government. They are actively seeking support from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
While the Congress’s current strength in the House means the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government isn’t truly threatened, this motion is anticipated to spark extensive debates. Opposition MLAs are poised to challenge the government and force it to defend its actions.
Congress Legislature Party leader Ramachandra Kadam recalled earlier statements by the Odisha Pradesh Congress President, who had indicated that Congress would support a BJD-led no-confidence motion and, in turn, expected the regional party’s backing if Congress initiated one.
Kadam and his colleagues visited the chamber of Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, who was unavailable. Instead, the Congress delegation held discussions with senior BJD leaders Pratap Deb and Sarada Jena.
Senior Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati confirmed that ‘all 14 Congress MLAs, along with the sole CPI(M) MLA, have signed a letter petitioning the Speaker for permission to introduce a no-confidence motion against the current government.’
Bahinipati clarified that the Speaker holds the discretion to schedule a discussion on the no-confidence motion after Question Hour on any given day during the monsoon session.
In the 147-member Assembly, Congress has 14 MLAs, supplemented by one CPI(M) legislator. The BJD, initially securing 51 seats, now holds 50 due to the passing of its Nuapada MLA. The BJP, with 78 members and support from three independents, maintains a strong majority.
BJP members dismissed the Congress’s initiative, noting that the party lacks even a tenth of the House’s total strength. BJP MLA Babu Singh remarked, ‘By seeking this motion, the Congress has merely turned itself into a public spectacle.’
Adding to the BJP’s criticism, senior leader Jaynarayan Mishra stated, ‘This no-confidence motion is seen by the people of Odisha as nothing more than a futile attempt for a silver medal.’
The Congress justified its motion by highlighting critical issues, stating: ‘Odisha currently leads the nation in crimes against women, with an alarming number of incidents. No district in the state is free from such grave offenses. Women, from school-aged girls to elderly homemakers, are constant victims, rendering them completely unsafe across Odisha.’
Furthermore, the Congress pointed to the dire situation of farmers, noting the government’s failure to control fertilizer black marketing. They also criticized the collapse of education and healthcare services, and the improper conduct of recruitment exams over the past fifteen months, which jeopardizes the future of countless students. ‘Considering these pressing issues,’ the Congress concluded, ‘we have formally submitted a no-confidence motion.’