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Jaya urges BJP not to contest deputy speaker's post

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham general secretary J Jayalalitha, whose party is a constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government at the Centre, today urged Prime Minister A B Vajpayee to ensure that the deputy speakership of the Lok Sabha was allotted to a nominee of the main opposition party, in keeping with parliamentary convention, and that he should be a candidate of consensus.

In a statement in Madras, she said a healthy regard for parliamentary conventions demanded that the deputy speaker should not again be a nominee of the BJP.

She said the BJP had earlier unilaterally decided to support the Telugu Desam Party candidate for the post of speaker without consulting the allies, despite the fact that the TDP was neither a member of the BJP-led alliance nor was it willing to join the government. Thus, the TDP candidate had become in effect the BJP's nominee, she argued.

She appealed to the prime minister to take note of convention and evolve a consensus to help generate the spirit of conciliation needed for the healthy functioning of a democracy.

Meanwhile, a consensus appeared to be emerging around Congress nominee P M Sayeed to be the next Lok Sabha deputy speaker, but the election during the current session of Parliament is uncertain.

Prof P J Kurien, chief whip of the Congress, who met Speaker G M C Balayogi, said the latter has agreed to announce the election schedule for his deputy in two or three days.

But sources said the announcement is likely to be delayed. The issue is to be decided at the political level by the BJP-led ruling coalition, which is not united on it. The BJP has announced the candidature of Rita Verma for the post.

Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has already announced her support to Sayeed. Several other members from different constituents of the ruling coalition have individually and collectively offered support to Sayeed, a ninth time member of the Lok Sabha from Lakshadweep.

The Congress has maintained that the post of deputy speaker must go to the main Opposition party in tune with the well established conventions. But the BJP is insisting on the post, saying that the Speaker is from another party, Telugu Desam Party, and therefore the deputy speaker must be from the BJP.

If the BJP is not sure of victory, it is unlikely to impose a contest and plunge into another embarrassment. The sources said ultimately the BJP also would yield and agree to support Sayeed as a consensus candidate.

UNI

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