Governor Naik questions outgoing Speaker’s move to ‘recognise’ Oppn leader

UP Governor Ram Naik on Tuesday sent a message to the newly formed 17th Legislative Assembly questioning the outgoing Speaker’s move to “recognise” Samajwadi Party leader Ram Govind Chaudhary as the new Leader of Opposition (LOP).

He exercised this right under Article 175 (2) of the Constitution, which says: “The Governor may sent messages to the House or Houses of legislature of the state, whetherwithrespecttoabillthen pending in the legislature or otherwise, and a house to which any message is so sent shall with all convenientdispatchconsiderany matter required by the message to be taken into consideration.”

The Governor’s message stated: “The question of democratic and constitutional propriety in the Speaker of 16th Legislative Assembly giving recognition to Ram Govind Chaudhary as Leader of Opposition of the 17th Legislative Assembly on the last working day... should be considered.”

The usual procedure of selecting the LOP includes the majority Opposition party coming up with a name which they propose to the Speaker, who then officially “recognises” the individual for the post.

Thespokespersonofgovernor House said that on Monday, the last working day of the previous Legislative Assembly, the Vidhan Sabhasecretariathadissuedanotification in which Chaudhary, an Spmla,wasrecognisedasleader of Opposition of the new Assembly by outgoing Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey.

The Governor’s message said that as per the tradition, only Speaker of the newly elected Legislative Assembly can give recognition to the new LOP, and that there has been no such instance in any state, especially when the Speaker has not even beenabletogetelectedtothenew Assembly.

It said that the notification by theassemblysecretariatdoesnot clarify why the procedure adoptedunder“swasthaloktantrik parampara” (healthy democratic tradition) so far was not followed, especially when giving recognition to the LOP is the Speaker’s “vivekadhikar” (discretion) and not “Samvaidhanik Badhyata” (Constitutional obligation).

Vishal Srivastav Governor Ram Naik exercised the right under Art 175 (2) BJP MLAS touch the feet of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath before taking oath as legislators in the State Assembly on Tuesday.