Mamata For Consensus On Dy Speaker Election

The Trinamool Congress, a key ally of the BJP-led government has refused to fall in line with the coalition's decision to support Rita Verma in the August 4 elections for the post of deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha. It has sought postponement of the election in order to avoid a contest and evolve a consensus. P M Sayeed, the candidate sponsored by the opposition, enjoys undeclared support from some of BJP's allies like the Samata Party and the Trinamool Congress. While the Samata Party has agreed to support Verma, the Trinamool Congress continues to be inclined to supporting Sayeed on the ground that the post should go to the opposition.

 

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Bannerjee yesterday asked both the BJP and the Congress to withdraw their nominees. She wanted the election to be postponed, and a consensus evolved. This poses a new challenge to the BJP's coalition managers though she has left room for changing her stand by stating that if the two parties refused to withdraw their candidates, she would decide on the stand at a meeting late tonight. Apart from her seven party MPs, Bannerjee claims the support of five MPs from the North Eastern states. Given the narrow difference between the BJP-led coaltion and the opposition, the 12 MPs can make the vital difference in the election.

Today the nominations are to be filed, and the election is scheduled for Tuesday. Bannerjee said she had conveyed to Prime Minister Vajpayee and Congress leaders that the house should not be divided on the issue, and that they should work for a consensus. "We do not want the government to be toppled or the house divided at this juncture", she said. Her stand comes a day before the ruling coalition members are to meet under the chairmanship of Vajpayee to finalise their stand on the issue. Bannerjee, however, said her party would attend today's meeting of BJP's allies, but would press for a consensus on the issue.

"Our options are open till tomorrow. Not the day after. If the Congress withdraws its candidate, then I will convince the Prime Minister (for a similar gesture). He is sensible. He is not rigid," she said. Asked whether her party's stand could endanger the government, she said she did not want the government to fall. "Our commitment is to this government and there is no question of (our) withdrawing support. There is no connection between the deputy speaker's election and the (stability of) the government. And that is why we have appealed to both the parties," she said.