Lalu dares Jharkhand speaker on disqualification

Railways Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav expressed hope that Namdhari Singh, speaker of the Jharkhand Assembly, would not disqualify any of the four independents who have crossed over to the United Progressive Alliance reducing the Arjuna Munda government to a minority.

"It is a big scandal and we should find out how Speaker Namdhari Singh has suddenly become interested in four independent MLAs (legislators). He returns from abroad and threatens to issue disqualification notices. I hope he does not do that because the Supreme Court is watching the developments. But in case he does go ahead, then we would approach the court," Lalu told newsmen who had been invited to meet 37 MLAs present who were present at his residence at Tuglak Road in New Delhi.

He released the list of the 43 MLAs supporting the UPA, which included 9 from Congress, 7 from RJD, 17 from JMM, four indepedents and MLAs from smaller parties.

"You can count that 37 of them are here and six of them are heading for Ranchi from Kolkata. These MLAs are now going to Ranchi and we have asked the state administration to provide full protection to our leaders from the state," he said.

He and Begum Noor Bano, who is looking after the Congress party in Jharkhand, would be flying to Ranchi on Thrusday morning to see the toppling of the Arjun Munda government, which has already been reduced to minority.

Noor Bano said that the Congress would support the new government from outside.

"Why are you asking whether the government would be stable or not. Congress is with us whether from within or outside. RJD would also push its MLAs in the ministry. Madhu Koda is going to be the chief minister of Jharkhand," he said as he raised the arm of Madhu Koda in front of the media to take pictures.

Lalu made it a point to tell mediapersons that his MLAs were very much intact and none of them had defected.

He claimed that there was a feeling of unrest even among the state BJP and JD-U units.

"Madhu Koda told rediff.com that he would accept anyone as the chief minister. Asked if he felt trapped, Koda said that he is not a child who was innocently walked into a trap. "We have done our calculations and then taken our steps," he said.