Ranchi: Embattled Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi on March 16 went into a huddle with close party members and a Minister to deliberate on strategy as Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari announced that he was going ahead with the Assembly session he had called on March 17, saying there was "no Constitutional crisis".

The Chief Minister was closeted since this morning with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and the Minister at his residence and would meet his legislators in the evening, party sources said.

Meanwhile, Namdhari told reporters at his official residence that his decision to reconvene the Assembly on March 17 was in keeping with the rules of Jharkhand Assembly.

Quoting from the rule book – Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha Karyasanchlan Niyamavali – Namdhari said, "Under section 175(2) I have the right to convene the Assembly and read out the Governor's communique and its directions to the members."

He said if the Governor had not sent the communique to him, then under section 15 the leader of the House, that is the Chief Minister, could announce the dates.

Namdhari claimed that Marandi's advisers were 'misleading' him.

Marandi, has called a two-day session from March 27 to seek a trust vote and pass the Budget, ignoring the March 17 session.

The Chief Minister had questioned the Speaker's competence to convene the Assembly, which was adjourned sine die by him on March 13 after he had announced from the chair that the government had lost a crucial vote on a cut motion.

Marandi said since the House was adjourned sine die it was the right of the Cabinet to advise the Governor on a new date or session.

He also said the House was originally to have a week-long holiday on account of the Holi festival from March 14.

PTI