Speaker serves showcause to 3 MLAs including 2 rebel ministers

Ranchi, Sep 7 (UNI) Armed with a seven-day life line to prove its majority in the house, the NDA today fired its first salvo prompting Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari to issue a show cause notice to two of the four dissident ministers and an independent MLA, now on the side of the opposition UPA in Jharkhand, under Anti-Defection law.

Mr Namdhari said Kamlesh Singh and Stephen Marandi were asked to reply by September 11, whereas in the case of Anos Ekka, the third hearing was scheduled the same day after which he would give his decision.

Talking to UNI, the Speaker said he would take a decison on the matter before the trial of strength takes place.

State Governor Syed Sibtey Razi yesterday asked Mr Munda to prove majority in the House after his 18-month-old fragile government was reduced to minority following resignations of four ministers on September five.

The Speaker said BJP legislators from the ruling side--Saryu Rai, Dinesh Sarangi, Chandresh Oraon, Putkar Hembrom and Sameer Oraon--had filed three separate petitions demanding disqualification of two dissident ministers, including Kamlesh Singh and Anos Ekka and former Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi(IND), from the membership of the Jharkhand Assembly.

The Speaker said the showcause notice was issued to them based on the petition.

Referring to the case of Nationalist Congress Party legislator Kamlesh Singh, the petitioner said he had voted in support of the BJP-led NDA government against the whip, issued by his party in March, 2005, during the floor test to be proved by Mr Sibu Soren.

Taking this plea, the petitioner said it was a violation of the tenth schedule of the Constitution.

In the case of Stephen Marandi, the petitioner said he recently joined the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Democratic) after winning the Assembly elections as an Independent candidate, which also came under Anti-Defection law.

About Anos Ekka, it was stated that he also voted against the whip of his Jharkhand Party during the ten-day-old Sibu Soren goverment.

During that time Ekka's party supported the UPA while Mr Kamlesh Singh was a minister in the government.

Mr Namdhari said as a judicial officer of the House, he was free to take a decision before the trial of strength, date of which was yet to be fixed.

After the resignation, the Munda government was reduced to 39 in the 82-member House. One nominated member is also with the NDA.

The NDA now comprises BJP (30), JD-U (6), Independents (2) and one nominated member while the the opposition Consists of JMM (17), Congress (9), RJD (7), CPI (ML) (1), UGDP (2), Forward Bloc (2) and Independent (1).

UNI AM-PRS JYN KK PA BST1943