No confidence against Orissa Govt defeated by voice vote

Bhubaneswar, Aug 29 (UNI) The no confidence vote, moved by the Opposition against the BJD-BJP combine led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today, was defeated in the Orissa Assembly by voice vote.

Leader of Opposition J B Pattnaik moved the no confidence, stating that the government had failed to provide even the basic minimum security to people.

The government, Mr Pattnaik said, had also failed on all fronts and lost all moral rights to stay in power even for a moment in the wake of largescale arson and violence across the state in the aftermath of the killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmananada Saraswati.

The no confidence motion was taken up today on the concluding day of the short winter session of the Assembly, suspending all other business of the House.

After a day-long marathon debate, which witnessed heated exchanges of allegations and counter allegations from the Treasury and Opposition benches, Speaker Kishore Mohanty put the motion for voice vote.

As the Opposition did not press for division, the Speaker ruled that the no confidence motion moved by the Opposition was defeated by simple voice vote.

After a thanks giving ceremony, the House was then adjourned sine die by the Speaker.

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