Puducherry BJP MLAs to meet Rajnath Singh

The three nominated BJP MLAs of Puducherry today left for the national capital to meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and apprise him of the "impasse" arising out of the rejection of their nomination by Speaker V Vaithilingam.
The legislators, namely V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Sellaganapathy, were nominated by the Ministry of Home Affairs, in July this year.
Talking to PTI, Saminathan said they would meet the home minister on September 13 and present a detailed memorandum regarding the Speaker of Puducherry Assembly not taking cognisance of their nomination.
The three members were inducted as members of the House on July 4 by Lt Governor Kiran Bedi at Raj Nivas after the home ministry issued its order which was since notified in the Puducherry State Gazette.

However, Vaithilingam had contended that there was no communication to his office from any "competent authority", and hence, the nomination was not acceptable.
The ruling Congress and its alliance partner, the DMK, along with the support of Left parties had also conducted a bandh here on July 8 against "unilateral nomination of the three members by the centre without consulting the state government".
The ruling Congress and other parties also alleged that the Lt Governor had acted "arbitrarily by inducting the three members without observing the constitutional procedures".
"As the monsoon session of the assembly is likely to be held in October, we want the current impasse be settled and the constitutional provisions honoured by the Puducherry government," Saminathan said.