Speaker to face floor test today

A Correspondent

Shillong, March 24: The No-Confidence Motion against the Speaker AT Mondal brought by the Opposition will be taken up on Wednesday, the fil day of the Budget Session of the Meghalaya Assembly.

The sudden resigtion of Deputy Speaker Sanbor Shullai on Monday, two days ahead of the No-Confidence Motion, has fuelled speculations among the political circles.

The sudden resigtion of Shullai has raised speculations on whether the move is at the behest of MUA-II Government to ensure that the no-confidence motion is defeated with a chairman from the panel taking up the motion on Wednesday in the absence of the Deputy Speaker who, the Government feel, has a chance of buckling under pressure from the Opposition when it moves the no confidence motion.

On Tuesday, former Meghalaya Assembly Speaker MM Danggo also resigned from the panel of chairmen.

Announcing this on the floor of the House today, Speaker AT Mondal informed that Danggo cited ill health. Mahendraganj legislator Dikanchi D Shira was nomited into the panel in place of Danggo. The others are Ronnie V Lyngdoh (Congress), Nihim D Shira (NPP) and Metbah Lyngdoh (UDP).

Earlier, on March 10, the letter relating to the trust motion submitted jointly by James Sangma (NPP), Witting Mawsor(HSPDP), John Leslee Sangma (Independent),and Jemino Mawthoh (UDP) expressed their lack of confidence on the Speaker of the House vis-a-vis Article 179 (c) of the Constitution of India and rule 135 of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. Rule 135 of the Assembly speaks about the resolution and no-confidence motion for removal of Speaker and Deputy Speaker under article 179 of the Constitution. The Opposition members tabled the no-confidence motion against the Speaker alleging that he had not allotted sufficient time for the members to take up relevant issues in Assembly.

Article 179 (c) of the Constitution of India says that a member holding office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker may be removed from his office by a resolution of the Assembly passed by a majority of all the then members of the Assembly.

According to sources in the Assembly Secretariat, a Speaker or Deputy Speaker can only be removed by a resolution and not a No-Confidence Motion as brought by the Opposition in this case. Sources also said that after the conclusion of the debate, voting is usually done by voice vote.