Punjab Vidhan Sabha examines pleas of SAD, BSP over trust vote

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4

The Vidhan Sabha is examining the applications sent by the two MLAs of opposition parties — Akali Dal’s Manpreet Singh Ayali and BSP’s Dr Nachhatar Pal — seeking to “correct the record” wherein their votes on the confidence motion moved by the AAP government have been recorded in the favour of the ruling party.

Officials in Vidhan Sabha said the proceedings of the House at the time of the voting were being examined once again. This would establish how they responded to the motion, when they were asked by Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to vote, said the officials.

It may be mentioned that the two MLAs’ votes were counted as being in favour of the motion. When this was announced in the House, the MLAs had then not objected to it. In the evening, Ayali refuted that he voted in favour of the government, while Dr Nachhatar Pal’s party, BSP, issued a statement saying he had not voted for the motion. A screenshot of a chat between Ayali and Pal, where the former is telling the latter to vote against the motion, also went viral today.

The Rule 87 (g) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, states that if a member finds that he had voted by mistake in the wrong lobby, he may be allowed to correct his mistake provided he brings it to the notice of the Speaker before the result of the division is announced. “However, the duo raised the matter outside the House,” said a Vidhan Sabha officer.

Sources say the procedure inside the House can’t be changed. Only a clerical error, if any, can be changed. It thus seems unlikely that the application moved by the two MLAs will be entertained.

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