The Odisha Legislative Assembly witnessed high drama once again as the Congress party’s no-confidence motion against the state government’s council of ministers was rejected for the second time.
The motion, tabled on September 22 in the evening, followed a similar notice given on September 18, which had lapsed due to the House’s inability to function normally amid disruptions.
Speaker Surama Padhy, citing parliamentary rules and procedures, declared the latest notice inadmissible. According to the rules, a no-confidence motion on the same issue cannot be brought in the same session, and a repeat attempt requires a waiting period of six months. “One no-confidence proposal cannot be followed by another within six months after rejection,” Padhi announced in the House, emphasising that the previous motion’s lapse due to abnormal circumstances did not allow for an immediate retry.
The decision sparked immediate outrage from Congress members, who stormed the well of the House, raised slogans, and created an uproar in protest. Despite the Speaker’s repeated appeals for them to return to their seats and cooperate in the proceedings, the opposition lawmakers refused, eventually staging a walkout.
The Assembly remained tense throughout Tuesday, from morning to afternoon. In the first half, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) members disrupted proceedings, bringing the House to a standstill, while Congress MLAs stood in their places in silent protest. The second half focused on the Congress’s second motion, where Padhi referenced parliamentary precedents, rules, and traditions to justify her ruling. She explained that the initial notice from September 18 could not be taken up due to ongoing disruptions, and under the rules, a lapsed motion in the same session bars another on the identical matter.
In response to the escalating chaos, Speaker Padhy convened an all-party meeting, which lasted for one hour and 10 minutes amid multiple adjournments of the House. However, the meeting failed to yield any resolution, with the opposition remaining firm in their stance.
The protests intensified when Padhy called upon Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to present a report. Congress members returned to the well, chanting slogans against the government’s policies on farmer suicides, women’s safety, rising fertiliser prices, and other issues. Unable to quell the disruption, the session saw the Congress delegation walk out in unison.
This marks the latest in a series of confrontations in the Odisha Assembly, highlighting deepening political rifts as the opposition accuses the ruling party of mismanagement and anti-people policies.
