The Hindu : CM, Speaker on collision course in Jharkhand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 16, 2003

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CM, Speaker on collision course in Jharkhand

By K. Balchand

RANCHI MARCH 15. The Jharkhand Assembly Speaker, Inder Singh Namdhari, and the Chief Minister, Babulal Marandi, are headed for a showdown with both announcing separate dates for convening the Assembly.

The Speaker has reconvened the House on March 17, for the beleaguered Chief Minister to prove his majority, but the latter has contested Mr. Namdhari's authority and fixed the agenda for March 27, precipitating the present political crisis gripping the BJP-led Government.

On Thursday, the Marandi Government faced a crisis following the sudden resignation of seven Ministers, belonging to allies on the floor of the House, and the Opposition insisted on a vote on a cut motion to the demands for grants which the Speaker conceded. Mr. Namdhari put the cut motion to vote after which he announced that it had been passed by a voice vote.

The Speaker, who belongs to the Janata Dal (United), later said the Government had lost the mandate with a majority of the members supporting the Opposition cut motion.

While the Speaker has taken upon himself the responsibility to carry out the directive of the Governor, M. Rama Jois, the Chief Minister, however, maintained that the authority vested in the State Government to decide on the date for reconvening the Assembly.

The new twist to the drama comes in the wake of the Governor's directive to the Jharkhand Assembly to ensure that Mr. Marandi proves his majority and make sure that the State budget is passed before March 31.

Mr. Namdhari held a long meeting with Opposition party leaders, including the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha president, Shibu Soren, and decided on reconvening the Assembly — which was adjourned sine die on Thursday in controversial circumstances — next Monday. He held the meeting soon after he received a communique from the Raj Bhavan and stressed that he alone had the right to convene the House as the Governor had not prorogued it as yet.

On learning Mr. Namdhari's move, Mr. Marandi too went into a huddle with senior party leaders, including the general secretary, Rajnath Singh, who arrived here today on a fire-fighting mission, along with Kailashpati Mishra, vice-president, who is in-charge of Jharkhand affairs.

Later, Mr. Marandi called on the Governor to apprise him of the legalities revolving round the convening of the Assembly and held the Speaker's action violative of rules. He claimed that the Speaker could not take any decision without taking the Leader of the House into confidence. But he declined to answer questions on whether he had confidence in the Speaker.

Mr. Marandi said that since the House had been adjourned sine die he held a Cabinet meeting and decided that he would prove his majority on March 27 and complete the financial business the following day. He conveyed the same to the Speaker to do the needful, besides informing the Governor of his decision. He said the Speaker had acted arbitrarily and hastily but denied that he himself was trying to buy time to "make good the numbers" he lacked.

On the other hand, the Opposition members, including Stephen Marandi (JMM), Lalchand Mahto (JD-U), Phurkan Ansari (Cong.) and Girinath Singh (RJD) called on the Governor to plead for security in the House on March 17 to prevent the ruling BJP from "unleashing violence as witnessed on March 13."

They maintained that the Governor, while pointing out that he had no role to play in the conduct of the House, should consider what action he could take to ensure a free and fair division to prove whether the Marandi Government enjoyed a majority or not.

The AICC general secretary, Oscar Fernandes, who is here felt that the Chief Minister would have no option but to face the House, for in his absence, the Opposition would move a no-confidence motion and prove which way the balance was tilted.

The Opposition parties are claiming the support of 42 MLAs in a House with an effective strength of 80, after seven Ministers resigned and crossed the floor earlier in the week. They also elected Mr. Namdhari as their leader to head the alternative Government.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by Rajnath Singh, called on one of the dissident Ministers apparently to woo him back.

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