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Trust vote stalled, Soren gets breather till Tuesday

Ranchi, March 11
Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, on Friday, bought more time for his government as repeated disruptions in the state assembly prevented a trust vote ordered by the Supreme Court to test his majority

In an unprecedented drama that rocked New Delhi and put on display every political ploy that rival coalitions could summon at hand, the trial of strength in the Jharkhand assembly was put off until March 15 after six adjournments forced by a ruckus over procedure.

Governor Syed Sibtey Razi had first ordered a trial of strength March 21 and then advanced it to March 15 before the apex court intervened.

The incessant commotion echoed in the corridors of parliament, where the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) accused the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) of sabotaging the trust vote to save the day for its government in the state.

The UPA, which was sworn in March 2 amid doubts about its majority in the 81-member state assembly, insisted in the assembly that a trust vote could be conducted only by a full-fledged speaker, not a pro-tem one.

After a day's squabbling, pro-tem Speaker P.K. Balmuchu sought the advice of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on the subject and adjourned the house till Tuesday.

An enraged NDA, which has claimed the majority support of 41 legislators, said the government had "already fallen", as far as constitutional norms went.

"This government does not have a majority and the NDA has already proved that it has 41 MLAs on its side," thundered former chief minister Arjun Munda of the NDA. "They cannot defy the Supreme Court by not holding the trust vote." If members of Soren's week-old UPA government shouted within the house, NDA protestors took up the issue outside, even coming up against caning and tear-gassing by the police.

The unexplained absence of three legislators caused much anxiety in the treasury benches, fuelling speculation that the government was fighting a losing battle.

The three had not taken their oath Thursday when the session began.

Angry exchanges began when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girnar Singh insisted that only a full-fledged speaker could conduct the trust vote. When he said this, UPA legislators started shouting slogans.

The house was adjourned a total of six times.

The Jharkhand assembly has been thrown into political turmoil since staggered polling threw up a fractured assembly with an edge for the NDA.

The government's efforts to raise its strength by nominating an Anglo-Indian representative to the house were also thwarted by the Supreme Court.

The drama intensified Friday when the pro-tem speaker served a notice under the anti-defection law on Enos Ekka of the Jharkhand Party, one of the five "unattached" legislators who have the potential of tipping the scales in favour of either side.

Ekka's party says he defied the party whip to back the UPA and crossed over to NDA.

The status of two Forward Bloc MLAs who were believed to have extended their hand to the NDA was also uncertain. The UPA attacked the NDA for "kidnapping" MLAs to win the trust vote.

— IANS