05/02/2026
O Ibobi Singh Questions Governor’s Address Before Confidence Motion in Assembly
Imphal, Feb 5:
Former Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh on Thursday raised serious objections to the Governor’s Address being taken up in the Manipur Legislative Assembly ahead of the confidence motion, terming the sequence of proceedings constitutionally improper.
Referring to the official List of Business for February 5, Ibobi Singh pointed out that the address by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla was scheduled at 4 pm, followed by the Motion of Thanks, presentation of the Business Advisory Committee report, and finally the Motion of Confidence to be moved by Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh.
The former Chief Minister argued that constitutional convention requires a government to first prove its majority on the floor of the House before proceeding with the Governor’s Address and allied legislative business. He maintained that allowing the address and subsequent motions prior to the floor test amounted to placing the cart before the horse.
Ibobi Singh contended that the Governor’s Address reflects the policy and programme of a Council of Ministers whose legitimacy must be established through a confidence vote. Proceeding otherwise, he cautioned, could set an unhealthy precedent and dilute established parliamentary norms.
The objection led to exchanges in the House, with opposition members seeking clarity on the sequence of business, even as the Treasury benches maintained that the proceedings were in accordance with the scheduled agenda.
The issue added to the political tension in the Assembly on a day when the government is expected to seek a vote of confidence.
