Mah govt wins confidence vote in State Assembly;oppn enraged

Mumbai, July 21 (UNI) Taking the wind out of the opposition's sails, the Congress led Democratic Front (DF) government in Maharashtra won a confidence vote in the Legislative Assembly today even as the Shiv Sena-BJP's notice of no-confidence against the government was not allowed by Deputy Speaker Pramod Shende.

The one line motion ''the house expresses confidence in the council of ministers'' was moved by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh at the end of the last day's proceedings, which was passed first by a voice vote and then by a head count.

As many as 153 members, including the CPM and Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), voted in favour of the motion while nobody voted against it. Shiv Sena-BJP members staged a walkout protesting against the ''biased'' ruling of the Chair to allow the confidence vote.

The House was adjourned for 15 minutes after the confidence vote was adopted. Later, BJP leader Gopinath Munde criticised Mr Shende's decision to allow a confidence vote when earlier he had disallowed a no-confidence notice stating that he had no powers to give a ruling since Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar was unwell.

Mr Munde also said that the Speaker had given a letter to the Deputy Speaker which said that he (Deputy Speaker) had all the powers to conduct the proceedings.

Explaining his stand, Deputy Speaker Pramod Shende read out the letter he received from the Speaker which said that Mr Shende had been authorised to conduct the proceedings today. ''I was authorised to conduct the proceedings today. The no-confidence notices were submitted to the Legislature secretariat yesterday and since the Speaker did not attend office, they were sent directly to his home.

I have not seen the notices which includes one no-confidence against me. The confidence motion was moved in my presence today so I allowed it,'' he said.

This did not satisfy the Shiv Sena-BJP members who raised slogans against the Deputy Speaker.

Shiv Sena-BJP members yesterday had submitted notices of no-confidence against the Deputy Speaker for abruptly adjourning the House when BJP member Eknath Khadse was speaking on the opposition sponsored last week motion and against the government for its all round failure in the last two years including failure to punish the perpetrators of Bhiwandi violence and intelligence failure leading to the serial train blasts in Mumbai.

After the confidence vote, former minister Madhukar Pichad moved a motion thanking the government for its role in handling the cerial train blasts aftermath and successfully nabbing culprits in ten days.

Chandrakant Chhajed (Congress) seconded the motion which was adopted by a voice vote.

Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil in his speech said that central intelligence agencies, ATS, Crime branch, Mumbai police were working in co-ordination and the investigations were picking momentum. ''It has been proved the blasts were a handiwork of Pakistan based terrorists. Pakistan President General Pervez Musharaf wants evidence of Pak hand and we will show it'', he said.

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