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Haryana speaker quits ahead of confidence vote

Haryana Vidhan Sabha speaker Chhattar Singh Chauhan today resigned from his office just before the commencement of the assembly session in which Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala was to seek a vote of confidence.

Chauhan's resignation came in the wake of a notice given by the ruling group for his removal from the office, expressing "lack of faith" in him.

Chauhan, who belongs to the Haryana Vikas Party, was elected speaker in May 1996 after the Bansi Lal government assumed power in the state. The HVP is now in the opposition.

The new ruling group, excluding the BJP and the breakaway Harayana Vikas Party (Democratic), alongwith the Congress have all along been complaining against the "partisan attitude" of the speaker.

It was a record of sorts that during the last three years the opposition gave notices for his removal on four different occasions. These notices were rejected every time since under article 179 (c) of the Constitution a statutory minimum 14 days notice is required for seeking removal of the speaker.

UNI

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