Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato on Wednesday counted strength of the Opposition BJP MLAs as 25, making it clear that he is yet to take a call on declaring its legislative party leader Babulal Marandi as the Leader of Opposition in the House.
Stating parties mumerical size in the house for allotment of time to members for speaking in debate on Income and Expenditure of 2020-21 fiscal', Mahato mentioned strength of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) as 3, despite the fact that Marandi has already merged JVM-P LP with the BJP and its rest two legislators switching over to the Congress.
Dissatisfied BJP legislators clapped and thumped the house table, bowed and knelt with folded hands urging the Speaker to "do justice" to their demand.
The Speaker said, "I understand your concern, and it will be decided 'yatha sighra' (at the earliest). Try to understand that it is a legal process and everyone knows that it takes time. Dont exert unnecessary pressure."
Marandi was not present in the house on Wednesday. On past three days of the ongoing assembly session, he has been seen sitting silently on the seat alloted to him during the special session between January 6-8.
After electing Marandi as their legislative party leader on February 24 last, the BJP MLAs had given a letter to the Speaker's office to declare the former chief minister as LoP.
The BJP legislators have been staging protests in support of their demand since the opening day of the month-long Budget session of the house.
The Speaker read out the house strength as: JMM-29, BJP (25), Congress (16), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik-03), AJSU party (02), RJD (01), CPI-ML (Liberation-01), NCP-01 and Independents (02), and accordingly allotted time to the members to speak as per the rule.
Dumka seat has fallen vacant after Chief Minister Hemant Soren gave it up in favour of Barhait assembly segment, the second seat he won in the November-December polls for 81- member Jharkhand assembly.
As a result the the ruling JMM's tally has come down to 29.
On January 24, Governor Droupadi Murmu had appointed a nominated MLA from the Anglo Indian community, taking the total number of the house to 81.
The nominated MLA cannot vote on money bills and Rajya Sabha elections, but can cast vote during a floor test.
BJP MLA and former minister Amar Kumar Bauri began the debate in course of which he demanded that Marandi be recognised as the Leader of Opposition as per the rule.
After Bauri concluded his speech, the BJP MLAs walked into the well again, raising slogans and demanding the Speaker to "do justice" by deciding on the LoP.
The opposition members staged a walk-out dissatisfied with the Speakers observations on the LoP.
The house continued with the debate with JMM MLA Deepak Birua, Congress MLA Irfan Ansari, CPI ML-Liberation) member Vinod Kumar Singh, AJSU party leader Lambodar Mahato, independent MLA Amit Yadav and MLAs Pradip Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey speaking on the topic.
Earlier in the morning session, the Speaker had to adjourn the house twice following ruckus over the demand for announcement of LoP by the BJP MLAs.
Raising the issue on the point of order, BJP MLA Anant Kumar Ojha had told the Speaker, "The House is incomplete without a Leader of the Opposition. So we urge you to make the announcement."
On BJP MLAs tropping in the well and shouting slogans in support of their demand, the Speaker had said, the 'Chair' is determined by the rules.
When his requests were turned down by the agitating saffron party legislators, the Speaker adjourned the house for a second time till lunch break.
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