BENGALURU: BJP members in the Legislative Council on Tuesday appealed to Governor Vajubhai Vala to direct the Chairman of the Upper House to convene the House, and allow them to move a no-confidence motion against the latter. In a memorandum to Vala after the House was adjourned sine die on Tuesday, BJP members said that as per Article 182 of the Constitution, a no-confidence motion has to be placed before the House 14 days after it is issued.
If such a motion is introduced against the chairman, he shall not preside over the House, and the deputy chairman should preside. Any communication made by him, will be deemed illegal. The chairman can neither preside over the Business Advisory Committee, nor sit in authority, since a no-confidence motion was being moved against him.
‘BJP, JDS together have the numbers’
The memorandum also said that the Deputy Chairman was sitting in the chair, as per rules. Congress members, including Naseer Ahmed and Narayanaswamy, not just assaulted the Deputy Chairman, but dragged him out of his seat. They brought disrespect to the council, it said. The members also appealed to the Governor to direct the Chairman to convene the House, and that all valid communication should be looked into by the Deputy Chairman.
BJP MLC Ravi Kumar told TNIE said in the 74-member House (excluding the chairman), the BJP has 31 members and JDS has 11. “Together, we have the numbers. The Chairman knows this and to keep his chair safe, he did not include it in the agenda. As per Section 181 of the Constitution, the Deputy Chairman has to convene the House,” he said.
In 2017, when DH Shankarmurthy was the chairman, the then Congress members who were in the ruling party, moved a no-confidence motion. Shankarmurthy said the Chair’s decision is wrong, legally and morally. “When the same Congress members moved a no-confidence motion against me, I allowed,’’ he added.