LUCKNOW: Has Samajwadi Party’s political miscalculation paved way for the BJP to have its nominee Manvendra Singh as protem chairperson of legislative council.
Manvendra Singh, a BJP veteran, was sworn in as pro-tem chairman by Governor Anandiben Patel in Raj Bhawan at 10.45 am on Sunday. The Raj Bhawan had not issued any press release in this regard till late Saturday evening and had also not invited media for the function.
The post of the council chairman fell vacant on Saturday after the completion of the term of incumbent chairman Ramesh Yadav. The BJP hurriedly decided to have Manvendra Singh, a member of the council, as protem chairman and a letter by the SP made the task of the ruling party easier.
Though Ahmed Hasan, an SP MLC, was senior to Manvendra Singh, a letter issued by the SP on June 29 to the outgoing chairman for nominating Hasan as leader of the opposition in legislative council paved the way for the ruling party to have Manvendra as protem chairman. Hasan took oath of the member of the house and also leader of the opposition on Sunday afternoon.
“Ideally, the SP should have sent the letter for Hasan after the election of the pro-tem chairman and not on January 29,” says a political observer. Since the SP itself had asked for the post of leader of opposition for its member, the BJP did not lose any time in seeking the post of protem chairman for Manvendra Singh.
“If the Opposition would say that the senior most member has not been made pro-tem chairman of the council we would produce the SP’s letter that the party itself had sought the post of leader of opposition for its senior most member,” said a senior MLC of the BJP. The SP has accused the BJP of violating the Constitution by elevating a member to the post of pro-tem chairman.
Now, it will be seen whether the BJP would go for chairman’s election or prefer to run the council with a pro-tem chairman till it attains majority in Lower House. The SP is also determined to fight for election and have its chairman as it has a majority in council.
The SP has petitioned the governor for the election. However, the ball is in the court of the protem chairman who will now decide if election is required or not.