Chandigarh, May 1
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday passed the confidence motion, reaffirming its faith in the Bhagwant Mann government. Earlier, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab moved a Confidence Motion in the state assembly on Friday, days after seven Rajya Sabha MPs defected from the party to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann tabled the motion during a special one-day session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, saying rumours that the party would collapse were false.
He told lawmakers that the party remained strong and had a presence across India, citing elected representatives in Jammu and Kashmir, Goa, Gujarat and other regions.
AAP holds a commanding majority in the 117-member assembly with 94 MLAs.
The confidence vote comes after seven of AAP’s 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, Swati Maliwal and Harbhajan Singh, resigned and merged with the BJP last week. Most of the departing MPs were from Punjab.
Meanwhile, the session was marked by disruption after Opposition leader Partap Singh Bajwa demanded alcohol tests for all MLAs present in the House after the doors were shut. Mann rejected the allegation and accused the Congress of trying to divert attention.
Separate scenes of disorder followed during a heated exchange between Mann and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira over alleged mobile phone use in the chamber.
The clash erupted while Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading a resolution on raising minimum wages. Members from both sides shouted as proceedings were briefly disrupted.
Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond later introduced a motion marking International Workers’ Day and recommending higher wages for labourers.
