Ranchi, March 16
Brushing aside talk of a constitutional crisis, rebel Jharkhand assembly Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari today decided to go ahead with the session of the House tomorrow for a trial of strength for beleaguered Chief Minister Babulal Marandi who was closeted with his ministers and party leaders to finalise a strategy.
There was no official word
from Raj Bhavan on a possible confrontation between the Speaker and the Chief Minister
whose Cabinet has called a session of the state assembly on March 27-28 on
confidence motion and passing of the budget.
“There is no constitutional crisis,” Mr Namdhari said at his residence today, adding his decision to convene the Assembly tomorrow was in accordance with rules.
Mr Marandi went into a huddle with his ministers and BJP leaders at his residence to chalk out a strategy, party sources said.
In Patna, Defence Minister and Samata Party President George Fernandes asked Mr Namdhari to quit before becoming a chief ministerial candidate.
Meanwhile, in a significant political development, all 42 MLAs belonging to the opposition today left Ranchi for a secret hideout.
According to leader of the Opposition Stephen Marandi, this was being done as part of a strategy to keep the flock together and prevent the MLAs from being approached by BJP hawks.
In a given situation when the BJP has been reduced to a ‘minority’, serious efforts are being made to rope in the opposition members
particularly the seven rebels who have changed sides, reducing a government to a minority.
The BJP MLAs have urged the Governor to ensure that Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari, projected as the Chief Ministerial nominee by the Opposition, not be allowed to preside over the House when the Marandi government moves to seek a vote of confidence on the floor on March 27.
UNI
