Thaindian News

Raipur, Dec 14 (IANS) With the Congress planning to bring in a no-confidence motion against the Chhattisgarh government on grounds of corruption, the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is bracing for a tough winter session of the assembly beginning Thursday.

The BJP, which has been in power since December 2003, has called for a meeting of its party legislators Wednesday night to devise a strategy to counter the opposition Congress’ charges.

Congress sources said party members will target Chief Minister Raman Singh and his key ministers for “failures of the BJP government on all fronts”.

The Congress has already informed the assembly speaker in writing about the no-confidence motion it plans to move against the government.

“We expect the house will take the no-confidence motion for discussion and voting this week itself. We will expose the government on issues such as corruption, staged encounters of civilians, rising farmers’ suicides and loot of natural resources,” state Congress chief Nandkumar Patel told IANS.

He added that his party legislators will grill the government on rising Maoist militancy, custodial deaths and the issue of botched eye operation camp that left 45 poor people blinded in Durg district late October.

The Congress alleges that the BJP government is mired in corruption scandals worth Rs.20,000 crore. A party delegation had submitted a charge sheet of corruption against the Chhattisgarh government to President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi in September this year.

BJP insiders admit that the party has come under pressure after the Congress’ concerted campaign.

“The Congress was ineffective in the state for several years but it has now exerted sudden pressure on the government, mainly in the past four months,” a senior state minister told IANS.

The winter session will conclude on Dec 23. In a 90-member state assembly, the BJP has 49 members while the Congress has 39 and the Bahujan Samaj Party has just two.