Bjp To Parade Gujarat Mlas Before President

This (parading) of MLAs is being done to stall any move to impose central rule under Article 356, the party's vice president, Krishan Lal Sharma, told newsmen here.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat governor, Krishnapal Singh, yesterday expressed his inability to convene a session of the state assembly under Article 175 (2) (right of governor to send messages to the House to be taken into consideration), to enable the Suresh Mehta ministry to prove its majority on the floor of the house.

Sharma said the MLAs would be coming to Delhi under the leadership of the Gujarat Chief Minister, Suresh Mehta, since the action of the deputy speaker, Chandubhai Dabhi, had not given the BJP an opportunity to prove its majority on the floor.

The party's general secretary, Venkaiah Naidu, had earlier gone on record to say that it would not be parading its MLAs before the President as they have already have a majority and was prepared to prove it in the state Assembly.

Asked as to why the party decided to parade the MLAs before the President after having earlier felt not to take this step, the party general secretary, Pramod Mahajan, said in politics, anything can happen.

Sharma demanded that the deputy speaker should resign immediately and if not so, the Congress party he represents should ask him to do so.

He said the BJP has moved a no-confidence motion against Dabhi. State Chief Minister Suresh Mehta told reporters in Gandhinagar that he had received a confidential letter from the governor on Monday and accordingly has given a reply yesterday.

The Chief Minister declined to disclose the contents of both the letters and said the reason for the governor's inability to convene the House under the Article was not known.

Mehta said it would have been welcomed by all political parties had the governor convened the house.

Asked if the governor had expressed doubts over the majority of his ministry, he replied in the negative.

The Chief Minister said he would leave for New Delhi on September 13 to attend the meeting called by the planning commission to discuss the ninth plan outlay for Gujarat.

Mehta said he had requested the Speaker to convene the House after September 17. To decide the agenda and date, a meeting of his cabinet colleagues would be held later yesterday, the Chief Minister added.