J'khand UPA to nominate Anglo-Indian MLA before trust vote
The United Progressive Alliance in Jharkhand on Friday said nomination of an Anglo-Indian legislator would be made before testing its strength on the floor of House.
The United Progressive Alliance in Jharkhand on Friday said nomination of an Anglo-Indian legislator would be made before testing its strength on the floor of House.
"The formality of nominating an Anglo-Indian MLA will be taken up before the confidence vote," Girinath Singh, one of the ministers in the Shibu Soren government, told a news conference in Ranchi.
Asked whether it was ethical, he said, "If the Nitish Kumar government in 2000 could do it in the Bihar Assembly, why can't we?"
Besides the 81 elected members, the Jharkhand Assembly has the provision of one nominated legislator from the Anglo-Indian community, who has a voting right during a confidence vote. The nomination is made by the Governor.
In reply to a question, Singh said the UPA's claim of 42 supporters included the Anglo-Indian nominee.
Alleging that the NDA has "illegally confined" Enos Ekka in Rajasthan, he claimed that the Independent would support the UPA during the confidence vote.
Singh said while Ekka's Jharkhand Party has lent a letter of support to the UPA, he has contested on an RJD symbol. "So, he is one of our supporting MLAs."
He, however, remained silent on Hari Narain Rai, who, like Ekka, also figures in both the NDA and UPA lists with the former parading him before Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi and later, President APJ Abdul Kalam.
