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Speaker should not interfere in party politics: Sangma

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Dec. 6. The former Lok Sabha Speaker and all-India general secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), P.A. Sangma, has said that the Speaker of a Legislative Assembly should not interfere in the politics of his party.

Replying to queries on the alleged interference of the Speaker, Vakkom Purushthoman, in the political matters of the Congress, at a press conference here today, Mr. Sangma said, "the Speaker cannot interfere in the day-to-day politics."

The Secretary of the Legislative Assembly and the Speaker does not have the powers to "summarily reject'' a non-confidence motion moved by the Opposition, he said. Since the house was prorogued, the Speaker cannot convene the House and it is for the Governor to convene the House, he explained.

Mr. Sangma said the Speaker should have informed the Government about the Opposition's no-confidence motion and left it to the Government to take further action.

Replying to questions on the internal squabbles in the Kerala unit of the Congress, Mr. Sangma said although it is an internal matter, such a thing had not happened before in the Congress.

``The Congress legislators defied the party whip and voted for the Opposition candidate. The AICC was not able to take any action against those who defied the party whip. How can the Congress party survive without enforcing discipline among the legislators? asked Mr. Sangma.

The NCP leader said the Congress had become very weak even in the matter of enforcing discipline in the party.

The NCP is launching a door-to-door campaign in a ward in 1,000 panchayats in the State from tomorrow. The vice-president of the NCP state unit, A. K. Saseendran, was among those who attended the press conference.

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