Assam: Narrow escape for BJP government in Assembly, opposition takes advantage of low ruling MLAs attendance

In a narrow escape for the Himanta Biswa Sarma led-BJP government, the ruling alliance experienced a scare as they narrowly managed to win the ballot vote that was brought forth by the opposition. 

In a voting that resulted from a resolution motion moved by Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on the subject of irrigation in state, the ruling side had a scare as sufficient number of their MLAs were not present at the assembly during the call for voting. 

Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary bought time by giving an interregnum of about 20 minutes during which the BJP and ruling alliance MLAs who were present at Guwahati were rushed in for the voting. 

What is more is that even after the voting took place, the ruling side managed to secure 39 votes, while the opposition managed to score 30 votes, putting the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government is an unexpectedly risky situation. 

Noteworthy is that had the opposition succeeded in winning today's sudden voting, Chief Minsiter Himanta Biswa Sarma's government might have had to face a no-confidence motion. 

The proposal moved by Akhil Gogoi which led to the vote in the assembly, was regarding ensuring that the state witnesses round the year irrigation process. 

“Due to lack of irrigation, many farmland in Assam is still cultivated only once a year and the fields are abandoned for the rest of the time. The majority of farmers in the state still rely solely on natural rainfall. However, sometimes due to heavy rains or floods and sometimes drought or drought, it is not possible to cultivate some farmland even once a year. As a result, agricultural productivity in the state is not as expected. Even in the modern era of the 21st century, farmers sometimes marry beetles in search of rain in our state. Let us pass a resolution in the Assam Assembly to provide irrigation to all agricultural land in the state, eliminate the dependence of farmers on natural rainfall, prepare the farmers of the state to cultivate the fields at all times of the year," said Gogoi in the proposal for the resolution motion leading to the vote. 

Apart from Akhil Gogoi, the resolution motion on the topic was also moved in the House by MLAs Zakir Hussain Sikdar, Ashraful Hussain and Abdul Batin Khandakar. 

The resolution motion was brought forth by Akhil Gogoi at a time when it was clear that majority of the ruling MLAs were not present at the Assembly. And Speaker Biswajit Daimary had to admit the resolution motion calling for a vote on the subject as is the norm of the House. 

However, the buying of time in the form of 20 minutes helped the BJP-led government in rushing in a few more MLAs who were present in Guwahati, and in the process, saving the government from a major embarrassment. 

Speaking to media after the voting, Akhil Gogoi pointed out that today's voting process was indeed a narrow escape for the government. 

"Had no time being given, had the voting been done immediately, the government today would have lost. First ten minutes were given, and then it was extended to 20 minutes. Had the voting taken place after 10 minutes, then the government would have lost out. There was a massive rush as the parliamentary affairs minister had to work like a polling agent. The irrigation minister lost his temper in the assembly and he could be seen shouting at his members. This is a major incident in the Assembly today," said Gogoi. 

Meanwhile, downplaying the entire episode, Assam minister Ashok Singhal said that a few MLAs had gone out of the assembly floor for some reasons and were called in for the voting. 

"When the proposal as tabled, there were just 30 MLAs of the ruling alliance in the House. Nine MLAs were out of the House at the moment, and then they were called in for the voting process. Nandita Gorlosa was in the premises, she had gone for lunch and she was called in. Bhuban Pegu had gone for tea. Seven MLAs had gone for a tea break and they were called in," Singhal told India Today NE. 

What is interesting here is that Congress MLAs Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Basanta Das, who had recently announced their open support to the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government, moved out of the Assembly during the voting process. This was done inspite of the fact that the Congress had isued a whip to all its MLAs to be present during the voting. This now leads to questions on whether this act would lead to their disqualification from the party.