M.P. Governor asks Chouhan to reconvene Assembly

Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav wrote to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday, asking him to request the Speaker to call a special session of the Vidhan Sabha.

The monsoon Session had been adjourned by the Speaker on July 11, after the treasury benches disrupted a no-confidence motion. As the Leader of the opposition Ajay Singh began to present the motion he was interrupted by his deputy Chaudhri Rakesh Singh Chaturvedi, who objected to former chief minister Digvijaya Singh’s tweet. Mr. Chaturvedi defected to the BJP.

Mr. Digvijaya had tweeted that the Ram Jhanmabhoomi movement slogan — “Bachcha Bachcha Ram ka, Raghavji ke kaam ka” (Every child is Ram’s and, is of use to Raghavji- an alternate name for Lord Ram) —was being raised in Bhopal. This was in reference to former finance minister Raghavji who has been arrested for allegedly sexually exploiting his male aide.

A senior Raj Bhavan source told

The Hindu over phone, “The Governor has written a letter to the CM today asking him to call a special session to debate the no-confidence motion which had been tabled in the House. It was delivered by Principal Secretary to the Governor Vinod Semval to Principal Secretary to the CM Manoj Shrivastava at 1 p.m. today.”

The source added that the governor has examined video recordings and transcripts on the proceedings on July 11. The BJP had alleged that since the motion was opposed by a Congressman before Mr. Ajay Singh had tabled it, the motion was not a property of the House and hence need not be debated.

BJP Spokesperson Vijendra Singh Sisodia issued a statement saying, “The decision of the Governor was taken under pressure from the Congress.” However he retracted the statement later.

Leader of the opposition Ajay Singh said, “The decision is a black spot in the face of the Shivraj government.”

The Governor had met Speaker Ishwardas Rohani and Mr. Chouhan to resolve the issue.

The Speaker maintained that he had adjourned the House sine die after he was requested by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra to do so.

“The Speaker's decision is final when it comes to adjournment and the Governor cannot order the Speaker to reconvene the House. He can advise the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers to call for a special session, if he feels like,” Mr. Rohani had said after meeting the Governor on July 18.

There was no official reaction from the government when this report was filed.