Jan Suraaj petitions Bihar council chairman to disqualify Independent MLCs who 'joined' BJP

    Patna, Nov 2 (PTI) Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party on Monday petitioned the chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council seeking disqualification of two MLCs who admitted that they had joined the BJP days after getting elected as Independents.

    A party delegation comprising senior leaders and former legislators Kishor Kumar Munna and Rambali Singh Chandravanshi called on Chairman Ram Bachan Rai and submitted the petition along with other documents.

    Later, Munna told reporters, "We have sought the disqualification of MLCs Bansidhar Brajwasi and Rahul Raj, who got elected last week from Tirhut Graduates' and Saran Teachers' seats, respectively, and joined the BJP within 72 hours."

    Their act violated the provisions of Article 191 of the Constitution, which pertains to disqualification of members of state legislatures, he said.

    "We have appended to our petition the affidavits filed by both MLCs which clearly stated that they were contesting the elections as Independent candidates, and the video footage and media reports related to their induction into the BJP," the Jan Suraaj Party leader said.

    Interestingly, the two MLCs admitted to having joined the BJP and posed for photographs carrying their membership slips and wearing the trademark saffron scarves with images of the lotus on them.

    BJP spokesperson have been trying to defuse the crisis with the claim that they have not joined the party but extended their support.

    Munna, however, charged the ruling party with "rape of democracy" and claimed, "The prediction of Prashant Kishor is coming true. The BJP is out to destroy the JD(U), its old alliance partner, which has grown weak since Nitish Kumar gave up the post of chief minister."

    He pointed out that both Brajwasi and Raj got elected by defeating candidates of the JD(U), which had contested four seats in the recently held biennial polls to the Upper House, but bagged only one, while the BJP won two despite fielding candidates in as many constituencies as its ally.

    Jan Suraaj Party's counsel Partha Sarathi, who accompanied the party delegation, told PTI Videos, "We have submitted before the honourable chairman the fact that if Article 191 is read together with the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, it will be clear that both MLCs deserve to be disqualified.

    Sarathi said the chairman has assured the delegation that he will act in accordance with the advice of his legal officers.

    On Sunday, Jan Suraaj Party national spokesperson Kumar Saurabh told a press conference, "If the chairman fails to decide the matter within three months, as mandated by the Supreme Court in orders related to similar matters, we shall move the Supreme Court."

    Meanwhile, JD(U) spokesperson Abhishek Jha, who was also the party's candidate from Tirhut Graduates constituency, said a meeting has been called later this week to review the party's performance in recent polls.

    Jha, who had scheduled a press conference, wrote on his Facebook page that he decided to cancel it "following talks with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and our national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha".

    "I have a lot to say on the polls, and I will share my feelings with senior party leaders on November 5 when the meeting has been called at the JD(U)'s state headquarters. I shall speak to the media thereafter. Inconvenience is regretted," Jha added in the post.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)