A divided Opposition has virtually given a walkover to the JMM for an Assembly Speaker of its choice. Senior partyman and Sarath MlA Shashank Shekhar Bhokta is ready to file his nomination papers on Wednesday for the post, with the BJP and JVM busy blaming each other for the leeway given.
The 82-member Assembly is scheduled to elect a new Speaker on Thursday after the BJP’s CP Singh resigned following Hemant Soren taking charge of the new coalition.
“I will file my nomination at 11 am. As of now, I don’t see any other name coming. There has been precedent to elect the presiding officer unopposed,” said Bhokta.
Considering the thin margin the ruling coalition enjoys in Assembly, a candidate was expected from the Opposition. However, BJP state president Ravindra Rai denied this.
“The ruling party should take the initiative to field a unanimous candidate. It has been the practice so far. We have not decided yet to propose any candidate for the Speaker’s post,” he told The Pioneer.
Rai added that the party had authorised leader of Opposition Arjun Munda to take a final call. Despite fragile mandates in election after election, Jharkhand has not seen any contest for the post — considered above party line.
The JVM nevertheless blamed the BJP for not playing the role of the main Opposition party. “We had planned to field an independent but the BJP did not try to forge consensus over this. They should have talked and formulated a strategy. It seems they are afraid of early elections and want this Government to continue,” said party general secretary Praveen Singh.
later, Pradeep Yadav of the JVM made it clear the party would not field anyone but kept his options open for a candidate coming of his own. Additionally, the AJSU has not shown any interest.