ELECTIONS

Jharkhand: NDA to parade MLAs before Kalam

By Onkar Singh in New Delhi
March 03, 2005

The National Democratic Alliance has decided to bring its members in the newly constituted Jharkhand Assembly to New Delhi and parade them before President A P J Abdul Kalam.

Bharatiya Janata Party president Lal Kishenchand Advani told media persons in New Delhi the legislators would be brought on Wednesday night.

Latest reports said that a chartered plane-load of NDA legislators left Ranchi for Delhi after a slight delay in the flight schedule.

The NDA in Jharkhand -- comprising the BJP and the Janata Dal-United -- has 36 members. Five Independents have also announced support to the alliance.

They will be paraded before Kalam on Thursday to prove that Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi violated the norms of the Constitution by swearing in a minority government.

In 1984, after the Andhra Pradesh governor dismissed the N T Rama Rao government, then president Giani Zail Singh reinstated the government after Rao paraded 167 legislators before him, Advani said.

"Kalam has listened to us and promised to do whatever he can. We have appealed to him to uphold the Constitution," Advani added.

He ruled out moving the Supreme Court, as it will be a 'futile exercise.'

"The Supreme Court, in the S R Bommai case, had ruled that the government's strength should be tested on the floor of the House," he said.

BJP leaders refused to disclose where the MLAs from Jharkhand would be taken after they arrived in New Delhi.

 

Onkar Singh in New Delhi
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