BANGALORE: The subject of thanking the Governor for his address to the joint session of the State legislature occupied centre stage in the Legislative Assembly for the third day on Wednesday and the deadlock over the issue forced Speaker Krishna to adjourn the House without any business.

However, in the Legislative Council, Chairman V.R. Sudarshan ruled that the first address of the Governor made on January 19 had been rendered "infructuous" and that the second one on February 24 could merely be discussed and taken on record, but the House could not adopt a motion of thanks.

It was also stated that his decision was based on the opinion given by the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha secretariats.

Nevertheless, the opinions expressed by the two secretariats of Parliament did not clear the air as they contradicted each other.

The ruling given by the Legislative Council Chairman set the trend for the Congress leaders in the Legislative Assembly to press for a similar order. The Speaker, however, stood by his ruling and said there could not be any change. With the Congress members trooping into the well of the House for a dharna, the Speaker adjourned the House till 11 a.m. on Thursday.

The Speaker reiterated his decision to allow the ruling combine in the House to move the motion of thanks to the Governor's address and said his decision is appropriate and in line with precedent set in the Lok Sabha.

The Speaker read out a letter of February 21, 2006 from the Lok Sabha Secretariat and defended his action in allowing the motion of thanks to the February 24 address.

After reading the letter, the Speaker said his decision to allow the ruling combine to move a motion of thanks was appropriate.

As the confusion and controversy between the Treasury and Opposition benches continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for a discussion with the Opposition leaders in his chamber.

Even the attempt to resolve the tangle through talks held in the Speaker's chamber failed.

In the Council where the Congress is in majority, Mr. Sudarshan went by the opinion of the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha, Yogendra Narain.

Mr. Narain has written: "A somewhat similar situation [existed] in 1996, when the 12th Lok Sabha was constituted. Under the provisions of Article 87, the President addressed the joint session of Parliament on May 24, 1996.

"But the Government (headed by A.B. Vajpayee) could not prove its majority and accordingly resigned on May 29, 1996. As such, the motion of thanks could not be discussed and passed.

"The 177th session of the Rajya Sabha was prorogued on June 13, 1996 and a new Government came to power. The 178th session of the Rajya Sabha commenced on July 10, 1996 without an address by the President to the joint session."

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