Amid chaos, Rana elected Assembly Speaker
Tuesday, 28/03/2017
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=175184&boxid=66566&uid=&dat=2017-03-28
Chandigarh : Amid pandemonium created by Aam Aadmi Party-Lok Insaaf Party MLAs, Congress legislator from Anandpur Sahib Rana Kanwar Pal Singh was on Monday elected as the Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Earlier, Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore had appointed him the pro-tem Speaker to run the House. As many as 19 MLAs of AAP and LIP, who were present in the House, were raising ‘anti-Speaker’ slogans when the Leader of the House Captain Amarinder Singh proposed Rana KP Singh’s name for the coveted post. Finding their voice not being heard, AAP-LIP MLAs left the House and the pro-tem Speaker announced Rana KP Singh elected ‘unanimously.’
As Punjab Vidhan Sabha this time has a divided Opposition, the SAD-BJP MLAs did not join the protest of AAP-LIP MLAs. While the principal opposition staged a walk out, the SAD-BJP MLAs were all sitting silent in the Vidhan Sabha. The Assembly had resumed at 2 pm and the proceedings were just started with the pro-tem Speaker announcing the session schedule, which included the Governor’s address followed by the debate on the same kept for Tuesday.
Leader of Opposition H S Phoolka demanded that the time for debate on Governor’s address should be increased, which the pro-tem Speaker outrightly rejected, citing the Vidhan Sabha rules. Then, the AAP’s whip Sukhpal Singh Khaira also stood up and asked the Congress MLAs not to repeat “which the SAD-BJP government used to do.” He, joined by LIP MLA Simarjit Singh Bains, reminded them of the night long protest the Congress MLAs had lodged against the Speaker in the previous Vidhan Sabha.
However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra and Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu suppressed their voice saying: “We are open for debate but let the government start its functioning first.” Finding themselves outnumbered in the House having 71 MLAs sitting on the treasury benches, the AAP-LIP alliance MLAs started raising anti-Speaker slogans, which the pro-tem Speaker directed to be expunged from the proceedings. The opposition then opted to stage a walk out from the House.
Once the things got settled, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, joined by SAD MLA Ajit Singh Kohar and BJP MLA Dinesh Kumar Babbu, walked up to the Speaker’s chair and congratulated Singh. Later, Congress, SAD and BJP MLAs appreciated unanimous selection of Singh as the Speaker, who on his part expressed his gratitude towards them.
