Saturday, April 16 2005 11:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi last night (Apr 15, 2005) nominated Joseph Gaulstone as the Anglo-Indian representative in the State Assembly.

According to a Raj Bhavan communique, the Governor gave his stamp of approval to the March 15 Cabinet's recommendation after getting satisfactory replies to his queries from the Arjun Munda Government on April 13.

With Gaulstone's nomination, the strength of the Assembly now goes up to 82.

The Governor had sought to know whether Gaulstone belonged to Jharkhand and that whether the pendency of a case in the Jharkhand High Court, challenging the Cabinet proposal on the recommendation was a hurdle in the nomination, the communique said.

The Government, in its reply, said Gaulstone is a bonafide voter in Madhupur Assembly constituency and the pendency of the case was not a hurdle as there was no stay on the proposal.

Alfred George De Rozario, who had been recommended by the nine-day Shibu Soren Government as United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) Anglo-Indian nominee, has challenged the rescinding of the erstwhile UPA Cabinet's decision. The case would come up for hearing on April 21.