Pro tem Speaker should hold floor test: Somnath Chatterjee

KOLKATA: The pro tem speaker should be entrusted with conducting a floor test in Karnataka assembly, former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee said even as he blamed Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala for “encouraging horsetrading” by giving 15 days to the BJP to prove majority.

“The governor has already called the single largest party, which is fine. But giving 15 days’ time to a party to prove majority is not only undemocratic but looks too much by all standards,” Chatterjee, a former senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) told ET.

“Even though there is no written rule for the number of days to be given to a party for proving majority, I feel that five days could have been given to the single largest party and then the floor test should have been conducted.” The veteran parliamentarian further said, “Since the first party did not have the magic figure, the second party should have been given an opportunity. And for that, the floor test becomes necessary in this situation.”


Chatterjee said the governor should immediately convene a special session of the assembly and direct the pro tem speaker to hold a floor test. “By delaying the house proceedings for two weeks, the governor is apparently inducing the MLAs to be bought and sold, which is very unfortunate for democracy,” he said. The legislature secretariat recommended the name of RV Deshpande, eight-time Congress MLA from Haliyal, as the pro tem speaker.

“Why should the governor not be held accountable for encouraging sale and purchase of MLAs? This is not only undemocratic but unconstitutional as well. Why should the second party, that has already given a letter with adequate numbers, not be given an opportunity to prove its majority?” Chatterjee asked.