The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has issued whip to its MLAs not to leave the headquarters from Tuesday onwards as the remaining days of the budget session of the Assembly is likely to turn stormy with the Opposition-sponsored motion on the removal of the Speaker to be taken up on April 3.
Sources said that the BJD had decided not to negotiate with the Opposition Congress for withdrawal of the notice of the removal of the Speaker brought by them. “We do not want to negiotiate. We want the motion to be defeated,” government chief whip Prabhat Tripathy told this paper.
The Assembly will reopen after brief break on Tuesday which is a private members day. All government business will be taken up only after the settlement of the notice on the removal of the Speaker on April 3, Tripathy said.
The Congress will have to get the support of 28 members in the House for discussion and voting of the motion. Or else, the motion will be automatically defeated without any discussion. The strength of the Congress in the Assembly is 27. However, senior member Basudev Majhi will not be attending the House.
The Congress has the support of independent MLA Braja Pradhan. It will have to get the support of one more member for discussion of the motion in the House. Sources said that the Congress was banking on the support of Jitu Patnaik or George Tirkey to reach the required numbers.
Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan, however, did not divulge the partys strategy to get the required numbers.
“We are aware of our strength on the floor of the Assembly,” Harichandan said and added that the notice was given because of the Speaker conducting the House not in keeping with the established parliamentary practice and in contravention of statutes.
“We only want to send a message,” he said. The BJP is also yet to decide on the matter so far. Leader of the BJP legislature party Jaynarayan Mishra said that a decision will be taken on the matter on April 3.