Sri Nagar, India: The Muslim United Front which has yet to reconcile with the poll results plans to create a constitutional problem by directing their elected candidates not to take the oath. Soon after the results were announced, the Muslim United Front leadership planned that their elected members should tender their’ resignations from the Assembly in protest against the rigging of the polls by the ruling alliance and the State administration. However, no final decision could be taken as the five top leaders of the party were detained under the Anti-Terrorist Act on a charge of challenging accession of the State to India.
The M.U.F. is planning to direct its four candidates not to attend the Assembly session because without taking oath their resignation will have no meaning and at the same time they cannot be expelled because they are not members of the House constituted on Friday or Saturday.
The M.U.F. plans to spark off a constitutional crisis which may not materialize if the Assembly Secretariat applies the rules of procedure of clause 3 of section 68 of the State Constitution which says if for a period of SO days a member is absent from the House then the House may declare the seat of a such member vacant. On the basis of this procedure the House may declare all the four seats vacant and accordingly intimate the election commission so that arrangements for by-elections to these seats be made.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 3, 1987
