Amid BJP Protests, Congress Gets Its Candidate Elected as Deputy Speaker in Madhya Pradesh Assembly

Bhopal: Amid BJP allegations that rules and regulations were not followed, the ruling Congress got its candidate Hina Kavre elected in the deputy speaker's post. The BJP vehemently opposed the move, forcing the speaker to adjourn the assembly thrice amid the din.

Both the parties later accused each other of shattering the parliamentary tradition. The BJP calling it a ‘Black Day’ affirmed it would complain to the President.

As the House met on Thursday, Congress proposed the name of Lanjhi MLA Hina Kavre for the post of deputy speaker prompting BJP MLAs to step into the well and protest. Former assembly speaker Sitasharan Sharma objected to the fact that the speaker did not read out the name of BJP candidate Jagdish Devda.

The opposition was also upset with the speaker not announcing division of votes. Leader of opposition Gopal Bhargav accused the speaker NP Prajapati of being partial and suppressing opposition’s voice.

After Bhargav’s charge, the speaker read out all the five proposals including the one which had the name of Jagdish Devda. Thereafter, Sharma wanted to raise a point of order and demanded a division of votes but the speaker did not allow it. Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also accused the speaker of losing his impartiality on the first day in office adding the latter was suppressing the voice of the opposition.

The pleas fell on deaf ears and the din continued even as the house was adjourned thrice. Though the BJP MLAs raised slogans constantly, the speaker completed the election of deputy speaker Hina Kavre with a voice vote.

Soon after the election, Kavre initiated the discussion on motion of thanks on the governor’s speech but was repeatedly interrupted by opposition MLAs. Medical education minister Vijaylaxmi Sadho objected to the BJP ruckus and alleged it was ‘shameful’ and ‘indicative’ of how much the opposition respects women.

As the commotion continued, the speaker got various amendments approved through voice vote and adjourned the proceedings sine die.

“It’s a black day in Indian democracy and we would complain to the President of India,” leader of opposition Bhargav told the media after the proceedings in the House. “We are exploring the option to move court,” he added.

“In the last four days, the Congress has massacred the constitutional provisions,” he alleged. Chief Minister Kamal Nath retaliated claiming it was the BJP which has broken the parliamentary tradition. “The BJP is not able to digest the fact it is now in opposition,” Nath told the media.

Explaining the Congress stand, Nath said the BJP in a breach of tradition contested for the post of speaker and this compelled them to field a candidate for the post of deputy speaker.

The chief minister however did not respond to queries on the formation of public commission as announced by the Congress in its election manifesto.

On Tuesday too, a commotion was witnessed in the house as protem speaker Deepak Saxena did not read out the proposal of BJP speaker candidate Vijay Shah and the election of speaker was done amid a walkout by the BJP.