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March 17, 1998

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Congress, not UF, should decide on speaker's election, says Paswan

Outgoing railway minister Ram Vilas Paswan feels it is for the Congress to take a decision on the Lok Sabha Speaker since it was the second largest party in the House, and the Janata Dal and its allies were not in a position to get their candidate elected to the post.

Paswan said the Congress could take a decision in this regard and consult the United Front, as the Congress would also not be able to get its candidate elected without the UF's support.

He said the people had given a mandate that the JD and its allies sit in the Opposition and not form the government. The numbers seemed to favour the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said, adding that even if the BJP was able to form a government it would not last long because of "inner contradictions".

Earlier, addressing a press conference, Paswan ''appealed'' to the new government to accord top priority to developing the railway network in the North-East and other backward areas, and to initiate welfare measures for railway employees.

In Bangalore, Congress general secretary Oscar Fernandes said parleys are on with his party's allies and the United Front to find a consensus candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post.

After filing his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha from the Karnataka assembly, he told newsmen that it was up to the BJP to agree to a consensus on the Speaker.

The Congress was in favour of nominating Purno A Sangma for the post, and he had agreed to become a candidate if the election could be unanimous, Fernandes said.

UNI

RELATED REPORT:
BJP trying for consensus over Speaker's post

Elections '98

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