Even as the Madras High Court is scheduled to hear a public interest litigation on the issue on Wednesday, Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi completed the formality of swearing in the local president of the Bharatiya Janata Party V. Saminathan, party treasurer K. G Shankar and educationist S. Selva Ganapathy as nominated members of the Legislative Assembly.
With the media kept at bay, Ms. Bedi administered the oath to the members around 8 p.m. after Speaker V. Vaithilingam allegedly delayed the swearing-in ceremony. “We took the oath as the Speaker delayed the swearing-in ceremony,” Mr. Saminathan told reporters.
The media crew which gathered outside Raj Nivas was barred entry. However, three legislators belonging to the principal opposition party N. R Congress were allowed to attend.
Later, a terse press note from the Raj Nivas said “Three MLAs nominated by the Government of India to the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Puducherry were sworn in by the Lt. Governor of Puducherry at Raj Nivas on Tuesday.”
Meeting with Speaker
Earlier, the three nominated members had met the Speaker. They had sought to be sworn in on Tuesday itself. Highly placed sources in the government had told The Hindu that the swearing in was likely to take place only after the Madras High Court gave an order on the public interest litigation filed by parliamentary secretary to the Chief Minister K. Lakshminarayanan seeking a stay on the appointment of the nominated MLAs.
The development is likely to further worsen ties between the government and the Lieutenant Governor. The ruling party on Tuesday convened a meeting of its alliance partners to chalk out a strategy, including a bandh. The party, on its own, had also decided to organise various forms of protest against the Centre’s decision. The Congress party also released FIR copies of cases pending against Mr. Saminathan and Mr. Selva Ganapathy and questioned the appointment of the members without proper verification. Separately, about 24 pro-Tamil outfits called for a bandh on July 8 to protest the Centre’s unilateral decision on the nominated MLAs.
Though there is no threat to the stability of the government due to the appointment of nominated MLAs as they are not entitled to vote in the Assembly, the Centre’s decision has given the BJP an opportunity to gain a foothold in Puducherry.
