MLAs under defection threat should be allowed to vote: Left

Ranchi, Sep 12: The Left parties in Jharkhand today demanded that all the three MLAs, who had been served with defection notice, be allowed to participate in voting during the confidence motion on September 14 in the Assembly.

In a joint press conference of the Left parties--CPI, CPM and Forward Bloc--the leaders today urged Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari to allow Kamlesh Singh, Anos Ekka and Stephen Marandi to participate in the floor test of Arjun Munda government.

CPM State General Secretary Gyan Shankar Mazumdar said issuing showcause notice to the three MLAs, when Chief Minister Arjun Munda was asked to prove his majority in the House, was unconstitutional.

''Mr Namdhari issued notice according to his constitutional rights but the step was not taken at an appropriate' time,'' Mr Mazumdar said.

Expressing doubts over the Chief Minister's statement to resume the monsoon session instead of calling a 'special session' for the confidence motion', Mr Mazumdar.

He questioned how was it possible to prove majority in the House when four ministers--Madhu Koda, Kamlesh Singh, Harinarain Rai and Anos Ekka--resigned from the Munda cabinet which was enjoying wafer thin majority with 43 MLAs in a 82-membered house.

Mr Mazumdar apprehended that untoward incidents may occur during the confidence motion.

UNI