VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Feb 28: The BJP demanding the Jharkhand Assembly to recognize Babulal Marandi as the Leader of the Opposition objected to assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto recognizing the existence of the JVM once headed by Marandi till he merged it in the BJP.
During the second half of the budget session of the assembly on Monday, the Speaker allotted time to different political parties to debate the vote of thanks and amendment to the address of the Governor to the House.
While the JMM and the BJP were allotted 71 minutes and 64 minutes respectively, the Speaker said that the Jharkhand Vikash Morcha having three MLAs was allotted 8 minutes.
The BJP MLA and former assembly Speaker CP Singh objected to the Speaker mentioning the JVM as the political party. “You are setting a new tradition. The time is not allotted only on the basis of the strength of a political party in the House. There is a different system for this. The second point is that you have allotted eight minutes for three members of the JVM. Will you let me know who are the three MLAs of the JVM in the House?” Singh said.
Speaker interrupted and said that he had taken note of the point Singh raised. Singh countered and said that the Speaker was avoiding the matter. “Only during the previous Rajya Sabha election, Babulal Marandi was mentioned as the BJP MLA in the electoral role issued by you,” Singh said. Singh wondered that while the Assembly Speaker was still referring to the JVM as a political party, Pradeep Yadav was appointed as the deputy leader of the Congress legislative fold.
The Speaker said that the matter of three JVM MLAs and the dispute related to the merger of the JVM in the BJP was pending before his court. Hence the JVM would continue to exist till the matter was finalized.
Marandi, earlier heading the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) had won three seats in the assembly elections held in December 2019. On February 11, 2020, he merged his party with the BJP and he was declared as the leader of its legislature fold. While Marandi joined the BJP, the two other JVM (P) MLAs, Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey who were dismissed from the party on different occasions joined the Congress.
The Election Commission of India notified the merger of JVM (P) in the BJP. But it did not recognize the merger of Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey in the Congress. During the Rajya Sabha election, they voted as independents.
