PATNA : Buoyed by the Patna High Court order restoring membership of four rebel JD(U) MLAs, four others who were disqualified in December on similar charges have filed a plea in the court today challenging the Bihar Speaker’s order but the ruling party said it was considering action against more legislators.
The four MLAs– Ajit Kumar (Kanti), Raju Kumar Singh (Sahebganj), Suresh Chanchal (Sakra) and Poonam Devi (Digha)– were disqualified by Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary on December 27 under anti-defection law after JD(U) had charged them with anti-party activities and voluntary surrender of membership over alleged cross voting in Rajya Sabha election in June.
Justice Jyoti Sharan had yesterday set aside termination of four rebel JD(U) MLAs Gyanendra Singh Gyanu, Rahul Sharma, Neeraj Kumar Bablu, Ravindra Rai by the Speaker on November 1 last year for alleged anti-pary activities including ross-voting.
“We have challenged our disqualification by the Assembly Speaker and petitioned the high court through our advocate S B K Mangalam for justice,” Ajit Kumar told.
The case, he said, was similar to the four MLAs whose disqualification was set aside by the court yesterday.
“The charges brought against us were the same as those brought against the restored MLAs. Even the Speaker’s order against us was similar to the one which was delivered against them. We are hopeful that the high court will ensure justice to us,” Kumar added.
Poonam Devi claimed that the tenth schedule of Constitution relating to anti-defection law had been wrongly invoked against the four MLAs though they had not indulged in any anti-party activity.
“We had only opposed decisions taken by former chief minister Nitish Kumar, who has made JD(U) his pocket party. We were against his erroneous decisions as we wanted the welfare of Bihar and its people. He got us expelled but now the high court will do justice,” she said.
Meanwhile, undeterred by yesterday’s HC verdict, Bihar Parliamentary Affairs Minister and JD(U) Chief Whip Shravan Kumar said the party was contemplating action against five more MLAs for indulging in anti-party activities.
“The party is contemplating action against Sunil Kumar, Dinesh Prasad, Rajiv Ranjan, Anil Kumar and Rajeshwar Raj for indulging in anti-party activities. We are keeping a watch on those trying to harm the party and none will be able to save himslef from action,” he said. (AGENCIES)
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