New Delhi, March 11: Keen not to be seen as taking on the Supreme Court, the majority view in the Congress is that the Centre should not recommend a presidential reference to the apex court on the Jharkhand floor test.

Top leaders who met in the Prime Minister?s house this morning under Sonia Gandhi?s leadership are believed to have concluded that the initiative for such action lies with the constitutional functionaries concerned ? the governor or the pro tem speaker.

Indications late this evening were that pro tem Speaker Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu, who adjourned the Ranchi Assembly till Tuesday, could take the initiative. It is not known when he plans to meet President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Balmuchu, who belongs to the Congress, may meet Kalam and submit a memorandum to clarify the competence of a pro tem Speaker to take the floor test.

?Though Balmuchu tried to facilitate the trust vote in the Assembly as per the Supreme Court?s orders, he could not carry it out as his competence was questioned by the UPA members in the House,? a senior Congress leader said.

The proposal on recommending a presidential reference was floated at an all-party meeting last night convened by Somnath Chatterjee. The Lok Sabha Speaker suggested the Centre could consider such a reference under Article 143 on the apex court?s perceived interference in the functions of the legislature by advancing the Jharkhand floor test.

This morning, the Congress met before the Assembly convened. Apart from Sonia and Manmohan Singh, home minister Shivraj Patil, defence minister Pranab Mukherjee, parliamentary affairs minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, HRD minister Arjun Singh, law minister H.R. Bharadwaj and Ambika Soni attended.

Sources said the leaders felt a presidential reference could prove counter-productive as the apex court itself ? in this case, a Constitution bench ? would consider it. Hence, it would be better if the officials concerned personally sought clarifications.