Date:22/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/22/stories/2007022214280400.htm

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Karnataka - Bangalore

It is a victory for us, claims Congress

Special Correspondent

Chaturvedi writes to Government on Chairman's election

Congress withdraws protest in Assembly

Kharge regrets unruly incidents in the House on Tuesday

Dharam Singh

BANGALORE: The Congress on Wednesday claimed victory to the party the Governor T.N. Chaturvedi's direction to the Government to hold election to the post of Chairman of the Legislative Council.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly N. Dharam Singh said the Congress had withdrawn its protest in the House following the Governor's letter to the Government to hold the election.

The Congress was opposing the suspension of its 40 members in the Council and was staging dharna in the House for the past five days demanding notification of the election.

Quoting the Governor's letter, Mr. Dharam Singh said Mr. Chaturvedi had asked members of the Council to choose the Chairman to fill the vacancy as per the Constitution.

"I hope that the machinery for election is set in motion for free, impartial and fair election to the office of the Chairman in consonance with the Constitutional requirements," Mr. Dharam Singh quoted from the Governor's letter. It is stated that Mr. Chaturvedi wrote the letter to the Government on Tuesday.

Mr. Dharam Singh said the office of the Council Chairman should not remain vacant for long for any reason.Senior member M. Mallikarjun Kharge expressed regret at the unruly incidents in the House on Tuesday and said the Government's actions provoked the Congress members to disrupt the proceedings. However, it was not the first time that such an incident had taken place in the House, he said.

Siddaramaiah (Congress) said, "The Governor's letter vindicated that the Government is wrong." He demanded that the Government reconvene a session of the Council to elect its Chairman. The Council was adjourned on Tuesday till March 16 by its acting Chairman N. Thippanna.

Speaker Krishna, who has abstained from the House for the past five days since the Congress served a no-confidence notice against him two weeks ago, on Wednesday, conducted the proceedings.

The no-confidence motion sought to be moved by the Congress was rejected on Tuesday.

In reply to the charges made by Congress members, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs M.P. Prakash said the Government was ready to hold election to the post of Council Chairman. But he did not specify the date. The discussion of an issue relating to the Upper House in the Assembly was not a good precedent. The Congress had violated all rules and staged dharnas for the past five days, he said.

Minister for Higher Education D.H. Shankaramurthy said the Congress members had no moral right to speak about democracy by holding dharnas in the House. The Congress members brought disrepute to the Assembly by indulging in unruly incidents on Tuesday, he said.

After the lunch recess, Mr. Dharam Singh and Mr. Kharge demanded a reply whether the Government would respect the Governor and hold election. But, when the Chief Minister and the Home said the Government would take a decision according to the law, the entire Congress members trooped out condemning the stubborn attitude of the Government.