VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Feb. 24: The meeting called by Jharkhand assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto ahead of the budget session of the assembly was marked by the conspicuous absence of the BJP.
The Speaker had invited the leader of the legislative fold of the parties beside other MLAs. But the BJP which is the chief opposition party in the assembly decided to stay away from the meeting. There is no confirmation on the part of the assembly secretariat and the BJP that which MLA of the party was invited to the meeting.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren, ministers Alamgir Alam (Congress) and Satyanand Bhokta (RJD), MLA Pradeep Yadav, Lambodar Mahto (Ajsu Party), Saryu Roy (Independent), Binod Singh (CMI-ML) were present during the meeting.
But it is evidently clear that the BJP boycotted today’s meeting in protest against the Assembly Speaker refusing to recognize Babulal Marandi as leader of the opposition on technical grounds.
When contacted BJP’s Ranchi MLA C.P. Singh said that he was not aware of whom the assembly invited to attend the meeting in which capacity.
“Babulal Marandi is the elected leader of the legislative body of the BJP. We are the single largest opposition hence Babulal Marandi automatically qualifies to become the leader of the opposition. Unfortunately, the assembly has not recognized him. This is a disregard of democracy,” Singh said.
The BJP has alleged the Speaker for dilly-dallying in appointing him as leader of the Opposition despite the party having 26 MLAs.
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. It did not recognize the merger of Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey in Congress. During the Rajya Sabha election, they voted as independents. The matter is pending before the court of the Assembly Speaker.
