Bhubaneswar, Sep 18 The Congress, on Thursday, formally moved a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led government in Odisha.
The Congress leaders have submitted a letter to the Speaker Surama Padhy through the Assembly Secretary Satyabrata Rout.
Speaking to media persons, senior Congress leader Taraprasad Bahinipati said, "We have submitted a letter with the signatures of 15 MLAs -- 14 Congress MLAs and one from the Communist Party of India-Marxist -- to the Speaker through the Assembly Secretary to bring in a no-confidence motion against the Odisha government. We have submitted the letter for the no-confidence motion under the leadership of our Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Rama Chandra Kadam. We demand that the state government accept our motion and ensure that a discussion is held on it in the House."
Meanwhile, the Congress CLP leader Rama Chandra Kadam said that the party will hold discussions with the principal opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD), seeking their support for the no-confidence motion.
He added that earlier the Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das had offered the party's support if BJD brought a no-confidence motion.
"Our State party president had also urged the BJD to support the motion if moved by the Congress. Today, we will also go to their (BJD) office and hold discussions on the issue seeking their support," Kadam added.
The BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik said that Congress has not discussed the issue of no-confidence with the party.
She said the BJD President Naveen Patnaik will take a stand on the issue after discussion.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Jay Narayan Mishra said that the no-confidence motion moved by Congress will have no effect on the state government.
The Congress on Wednesday announced to bring a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led state government, claiming that the latter has not lived up to the people's expectations and failed to address various issues like violence against women, farmer woes, corruption in the education sector, etc.
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