The 20th session of the 14th Kerala Legislative Assembly convened here on Monday under the grim shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In what appeared to be an archetypal vignette of life in the time of the contagion, Legislators queued up for an antigen test before entering the Legislative chamber for the one-day meeting. Most wore masks and some sported face shields.
Only those who tested negative were allowed into the Assembly hall. Other legislators were told they could participate in the polling for the Rajya Sabha by-election after donning the PPE kit. In the meantime, the MLAs who tested positive could isolate themselves in individual rooms inside the Assembly complex.
No electronic voting
The Legislative Secretariat had, in an advisory, urged members to maintain physical distance and wear masks. It has suspended electronic voting. Members could raise their hands or stand up near their seats to get their votes registered. The Assembly has disallowed visitors.
Legislators would sit in the Assembly spaced at least two metres apart. The polling for the Rajya Sabha by-election is scheduled to commence after 9 a.m. Shreyams Kumar of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is contesting against Lal Varghese Kalpakavadi of the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Importantly, the House is scheduled to debate and vote on the motion of no-confidence moved by V. D. Satheeshan, MLA, of the Congress after 10 a.m.
In his notice, Mr. Satheeshan had sought the leave of the Assembly to “make the motion expressing want of confidence in the Council of Ministers headed by Pinarayi Vijayan”. He is scheduled to table the motion after the House considered the “further stages” of the Kerala Finance Bill, 2020.
The numbers in the Assembly are overwhelmingly in favour of the LDF. The LDF has 91 MLAs and UDF 42 as per the latest count. CPI (M) independent from Koduvally Karat Rasaq and IUML MLA from Azhikode K.M. Shaji has no vote due to pending court cases challenging their election. However, they could attend the debate.
The two MLAs aligned with the Jose. K. Mani faction of the Kerala Congress (M), Roshy Augustine and N. Jayaraj, had announced that they would remain politically neutral and abstain from voting for or against the government. They were unlikely to arrive in the Assembly.
The bitter dissension in the KC(M) threatened to diminish the numbers of the UDF on the floor of the House on a crucial day. KC(M) chairperson P. J. Joseph had warned the legislators they would face disciplinary action and lose their seats in the Assembly if they defied the party whip.
The sole legislator of the Bharatiya Janata Party, O. Rajagopal, is unlikely to cast his vote in the no-confidence motion. The party has announced that Mr. Rajagopal would lead a protest against the government in front of the Assembly. Independent legislator P. C. George of Kerala Janapaksham (Secular), an ally of the National Democratic Alliance, said he was yet to make up his mind whether to support or oppose the no-confidence motion.
