JCC has no objection to Speaker's continuation in post

Two Jharkhand parties today said they had no objection to Speaker C P Singh technically continuing in his post even after the installation of new JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government headed by Morcha leader Hemant Soren on July 13 last.
Though the Speaker can resign on moral grounds following the installation of a popular government, it was not binding as per the rule book, the newly formed Jharkhand Co-ordination Committee-2, comprising JPP and JDP, today said.
JCC conveners Surya Singh Besra, President of Jharkhand People's Party (JPP) and Salkhan Murmu, President of Jharkhand Disom Party (JDP), said this while addressing a joint press conference here.

Justifying their stand, they said the current state assembly was not dissolved but kept under suspended animation after the Arjun Munda-led coalition was reduced to a minority coalition following the withdrawal of support by its ally JMM having 18 members in the house in December last.
Besides, the Soren-led government has not yet proved its majority in the house and will be facing the floor test on July 18, they said.
However, they admitted, it was the general trend in democracy that a Speaker puts in his papers on moral grounds when a new majority government was installed.
Besra said the Speaker has the discretionary power to disqualify the tainted leaders facing serious criminal charges before the floor test.

He cited the example of former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who had disqualified some MPs during the trust vote over Indo-US nuclear deal in 2009.