PUDUCHERRY SPEAKER REJECTS NOMINATION OF THREE BJP MLAS

: The tussle between the elected Congress government and Lieutenant Governor in Puducherry heated up on Monday, with the state assembly speaker refusing to recognise three MLAs affiliated to BJP as nominated members of assembly.

Speaker V Vaithalingam rejected the plea for recognition of BJP Puducherry unit president RV Saminathan, treasurer KG Shankar, and another officebearer S Selvagapathy, saying that their appointment itself was untenable as it was made by an “incompetent authority”.

On July 4, Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi had administered the oath of office and secrecy to the three after the Speaker refused to do so, saying their appointment was questionable. When the three were nominated to the assembly, chief minister V Narayansamy cried foul and alleged that the Centre had taken the step without even consulting the duly elected government.

The plea of the three MLAs, nominated by the Union home ministry, was pending with Vaithalingam. But on Monday he officially rejected the application.

In identical letters to the three leaders, the secretary to the Speaker conveyed to them that Vaithalingam had rejected their plea. “The honourable Speaker is of the considered view that your nomination was made by the incompetent authority and without jurisdiction in contravention of the provisions of the Constitution of India and the Government of Union Territories Act 1963, and hence void,” it said.

State BJP president RV Saminathan told HT that “the speaker’s interpretation of the Act was wrong and what he has done was totally wrong.”

He said that “we will go to the assembly on November 23 when it opens for session and see what happens. We will not be allowed inside, but we will protest outside the assembly. The issue is being taken up by the party at the central level, Saminathan said adding that “we are waiting for guidance on how to take the issue forward.”

CHENNAI