Thursday, August 11, 2011: Seeking to put a lid on the opposition allegation of “bogus voting” in Kerala Assembly during division on the Appropriation Bill on July 20, the video footages of the house proceedings were examined today, which found that 69 members from the ruling UDF were present and voted as claimed by the ruling side.
The leaders of the Opposition LDF, however, did not turn up at the screening arranged by Speaker G Karthikeyan at the request of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. After the screening, Chandy said opposition leader V S Achuthanandan “owed an apology to the people of Kerala for leveling a totally unfounded charge” against the government.
After agreeing to participate in the screening, the opposition had boycotted it to avoid loss of face over its allegation, Chandy alleged. Besides the Speaker, Chandy, leaders of the UDF constituents and government chief whip P C George turned up to watch the screening held at the assembly lounge.
Mediapersons were also allowed to watch the screening. The LDF, whose members abstained from the voting, had alleged that there was “bogus voting” to ensure the passage of the bill to avoid the government’s collapse. The UDF government commands only a slender majority of 73 members in the house whose effective strength is 141 including the Speaker and a nominated Anglo Indian member.
The video footages, however, showed some of the UDF members prodding Finance Minister K M Mani to prolong his speech even after the third reading of the bill to ensure that all members of the treasury benches were back in their seat to vote.
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