Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare has called on the Speaker Kishore Mohanty, and even sought for video footage of the proceedings of the house. He also asked for any past record of a trust motion being passed by a voice vote. The Speaker claimed that 81 MLAs in the 147-member house were present after Congress and BJP staged a walkout.
The opposition termed it as a black day in the Indian democracy and demanded immediate dismissal of the government and imposition of President’s Rule. The BJP had also urged the Speaker to disqualify three of its members who have extended their support to Naveen Patnaik. BJP had a 32-member block but three of them went up to back the BJD.
On the other hand, BJD with its individual number of 61 needed another 13 to win the confidence vote. Earlier, it had claimed support of four Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), one each of CPI and CPI (M), two NCPs, seven Independents and three BJP rebels.
Orissa PCC president KP Singh Deo expressing his fury over the whole development said that democracy was murdered on the floor of the house as the government won the trust vote without voting. No member was asked to vote and hence the BJD has no moral right to continue, he added.
Meanwhile, Governor Bhandare is scrutinising the assembly proceedings during the trust vote. The Governor had also summoned the Speaker last evening to discuss with him about the house proceedings and the reason not allowing a trust vote. However, there is yet to come a final say from the Raj Bhavan.