Pul claims support of majority MLAs in Arunachal

Says, has the support of 43 members of the Arunachal Legislative Assembly, which has a total strength of 60

Dismissed Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul on Thursday claimed support of majority MLAs of the state.

"We need to see the facts very carefully. The SC has not directed that the party composition shall be restored as on December 15. Accordingly, the party composition of the Arunachal Assembly is Congress - 15, PPA - 30, BJP - 11 and Independents - 2," Pul said at a press conference here.

"With this party composition, I wonder whether Nabam Tuki will be able to win a confidence vote," he said.

Parading 36 MLAs in front of the media, Pul asserted he has the support of 43 members of the Arunachal Legislative Assembly, which has a total strength of 60.

Asked if there was any fear of horse-trading, Pul said "That fear is always there. He (Tuki) is calling all members for influencing them."

On filing a review petition against the Supreme Court judgement, he said legal experts would be consulted first.

On the law and order situation in Arunachal Pradesh, he said "I have been a minister for 23 years and for the first time I saw a situation where the home minister was blocking roads and locking Assembly gates. We feared law and order problems. That is why we defected."

Talking about the apex court judgement, Pul claimed there have been instances of preponing sessions, including in the Parliament.

"The SC judgement also did not restore Tuki as CM. The ruling was on three operative parts - preponing of the session, Governor's message to the Speaker and quashing of the proceeding of December 16 and 17. So, it only reinstated the Speaker. However, we do not want to keep fighting as this will give a wrong signal. Now the Governor has asked him to prove majority on the floor, so that will decide everything," he asserted.

Commenting on the landmark Supreme Court judgement, Pul said "The Constitution of India is still evolving, specially in respect of the Governor's role vis-a-vis the Legislature. For the first time I am getting educated that in a matter of removal of a Speaker of the House, the Governor has to take advice from the Cabinet."

"In fact, I find no answer to my own question that if the Cabinet delays the summoning of a House to impeach a Speaker, what will happen to the democratic aspirations of the majority of the House desiring to remove a Speaker?"

In a democracy, the voice of the people was the supreme law and peoples' representatives assemble in the Assembly under the Constitution to "make and unmake" governments on the floor, he said.

"There may be innumerable interpretations on any provision of the Constitution. We now know what is the view of the Constitution Bench... Constitution is evolving and judgements of Constitution Benches may also evolve," Pul said.

He maintained that the SC order for restoration was not connected to the disqualification of 14 MLAs and change of party affiliation by 30 Congress members to the PPA.

"The Supreme Court order, dated July 13, 2016, is not an order for blanket restoration. The restoration is only with respect to the issues that have been explicitly adjudicated by the honourable apex court," Pul claimed.