LUCKNOW: The 17DayOld minority BSP Government headed by MS. Mayawati won the first battle of survival when it won the vote of confidence in the Vidhan Sabha by a thumping majority of 249 votes to nill. The Congress group abstained from the voting while former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and BSP group led by Raj Bahadur stayed away from the proceedings. ‘The Chief Minister herself tabled the one line motion which said, “this Government seeks the vote of confidence in the House.”
The motion was tabled in the House soon after it reassembled after an hour-long adjournment.
The House also admitted for discussion, an confidence motion against Speaker Dhami Ram Verma.
All the 279 members present in the House voted for admission of the motion.
Then confidence notice against the defiant speaker was moved by Kalyan Singh (BJP) and others.
Barkhu Ram Verma, the presiding officer had earlier taken up the notice.
The Samajwadi Party legislator group Ied by Mulayam Singh Yadav abstained. Besides the BJP and BSP, members, those belonging to Congress Janata Dal and CPI were present when the resolution was put to vote. BSP chief Kanshi Ram, BJP leaders Atal Behari Vajpayee and Dr. Marli Manohar Joshi, Legislative Council acting chairman Nityanand Swami and Union Food Minister Ajit Singh witnessed the proceedings from the Governor’s gallery.
The first item on the agenda the removal of Dhani Ram Verma as Speaker, was taken up when all the 279 members present stood up in support of the admittance of the resolution, At first the members demanded that the resolution be adopted after a head count.
However, Janata Dal and Congress leaders pointed out that such a practice would be a deviation from the traditions and an insult to the House. Rajendra Kumar Gupta (BJP) and other members of his party, however, insisted on headcount so that people ‘would know “how many members” were against the Speaker, As the head count ended, Kalyan Singh and Ram Asrey Verma spoke briefly on the circumstances under which the resolution was brought Leader of the Congress group Pramod Tiwari, however, urged members not to indulge in character assassination, Mr. Dhaniram Verma was the Speaker, He said it was very sad that a resolution for the Speaker’s removal had to be brought. On a number of occasions no confidence notices had been given against the Speaker, “but it is for the first time ‘that his removal has been sought by the house,” he added.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 30, 1995
