802 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
I agree with my friend that it was not the intention of the Constituent Assembly to permit nominated members to take part in the election, as this matter was not brought to the attention of the Constituent Assembly, it is now impossible for us to do anything unless by amending the Constitution, which is of course an impossible proposition.
Shri Chattopadhyay: May I know whether the State Government could do something to debar such members from being voters in the election and whether the State Government even at this stage could do away with their membership by an executive order?
Dr. Ambedkar: It is of course quite open to the local Assembly to pass another Municipal Act making the whole of the Municipality wholly elected, before the election takes place so that the difficulty raised by my friend can be obviated. But there is nothing which this Parliament can do in this matter.
Shri Chattopadhayay: May I know whether the Law Ministry is going to instruct the State Government to this effect ?
Dr. Ambedkar: I suppose it would be for the Prime Minister to take this point into consideration and to inform the Ministry if he thinks that it is desirable that the nominated members should not take part in the election.
Shri Chattopadhayay: May I have the opinion of the Prime Minister in this matter ?
The Prime Minister (Shri Jawaharlal Nehru): I am sorry I have not quite followed the argument……
Dr. Ambedkar: The point, if I may tell the Prime Minister, is this, that there are certain Municipalities in West Bengal where a large number of the membership of the Municipality is by reason of nomination……..
Shri Sondhi (Punjab) : In Punjab also.
Dr. Ambedkar: In Punjab also. In our Constitution, when we considered the question of the constitution of the Upper