Six Congress MLAs recognised as TMC in Tripura

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA, Aug 29: Trimool Congress became the biggest opposition party in Tripura as the Speaker of the State Assembly Ramendra Kumar th upholds the validity of six MLA’s merger with the TMC. They earlier deserted the Congress protesting against the party’s forming alliance with the CPI (M) in West Bengal.

The speaker in a 12 page order said the petition submitted by six MLA’s ‘deserves to be allowed as there is substantial material in the petition to constitute a valid merger under para 4 (2) of the tenth schedule of the constitution of India’.

With this announcement the TMC became the biggest opposition group in Tripura assembly as the strength of the other opposition party the Congress has reduced to three only.

The decision brought much relief for the TMC leaders in the state and jubilant party workers celebrated in different parts of the State. Leader of the six member TMC legislature party Sudip Roy Barman expressed satisfaction and said the speaker acted as per law.

However, some differences are still exists over opposition party recognition as the Speaker and Roy Barman came up with different interpretation of the procedures in this regard.

According to the Speaker as per the rules of procedure and business of the Tripura Assembly support of  the one sixth members of the total strength of the house is required for getting recognition as opposition party.   On the other hand, citing parliamentary procedures Roy Barman said support of one tenth members is  enough for the purpose.

He cited he procedures of some other states too.

However, the speaker said being the biggest opposition group in the house TMC will be entitled to get the post of the chairman of the public accounts committee.

While recognizing the six MLA’s merger with TMC valid, the speaker rejected a petition filed by the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Birajit Sinha claiming that one of the MLA’s Biswa Bandhu Sen was expelled from the party.