Lone to announce verdict at appropriate time
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 8: In a significant decision, Legislative Assembly Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone has decided to club the two petitions filed before him by rival ‘Legislature Party leaders’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for disqualification MLAs affiliated to other group.
Mr Lone told the Excelsior that petition filed by rebel group of the BJP headed by Prof Chaman Lal Gupta seeking disqualification of four BJP MLAs has been accepted by him and treated at par with the petition filed earlier by Jugal Kishore Sharma, another ‘Legislature Party leader’ of the BJP, who had sought disqualification of seven rebel MLAs including Prof Gupta.
However, the Speaker said, he would maintain status quo on both the petitions filed by Prof Gupta and Mr Sharma so far as he was also awaiting outcome of a petition pending in the court of law.
“I have been examining various pros and cons of the two petitions—the legal position of both, the reasons mentioned for disqualification and various other provisions of Anti-Defection Law applicable in the State’’, Mr Lone said.
He added that while Jugal Kishore Sharma had filed a petition before him last year seeking disqualification of seven BJP MLAs from the Assembly, Prof Gupta had filed the petition sometime back seeking disqualification of four MLAs from the House.
“Both petitions are with me. I have gone through both of them. I have clubbed both the petitions and would give my verdict on both of them jointly at an appropriate time after taking all legal aspects into account’’, Mr Lone said.
Worthwhile to mention here that BJP had suspended seven MLAs from the party and then appointed Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLA Nagrota as new Legislature Party leader in place of Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, who was among seven suspended MLAs.
The BJP had suspended seven MLAs for cross voting in favour of National Conference and Congress candidates in the Legislative Council elections on April 13 last year. The BJP candidate had secured only four votes as against 11 MLAs of the party then, clearly indicating that seven MLAs had cross voted for NC and Congress candidates, who had secured an equal number of more votes as compared to their strength.
All seven MLAs had approached the Speaker claiming themselves as genuine group of the BJP and subsequently knocked doors of the court against their proposed disqualification.
The Speaker, however, continued to maintain status quo on the BJP Legislature Party treating Prof Gupta as the party leader and all 11 MLAs as that of the BJP. He had announced the verdict on floor of the House also during budget session of the Legislature in February-April this year.
Seven MLAs, whose disqualification had been sought by newly appointed BJP Legislature Party leader Jugal Kishore Sharma, included Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, MLA Jammu West, Master Lal Chand, MLA Bani, Jagdish Raj Sapolia, MLA Basohli, Durga Dass, MLA Hiranagar, Baldev Raj Sharma, MLA Reasi, Bharat Bushan, MLA Domana and Prof Gharu Ram Bhagat, MLA RS Pura.
Barring Prof Gupta and Mr Sapolia, all five others were first time MLAs.
Mr Kishore had sought disqualification of seven MLAs for cross voting.
Sometime back, Prof Gupta had filed a separate petition before the Speaker seeking disqualification of four MLAs on the ground of indiscipline and anti-party activities. The MLAs, whose disqualification has been sought by Prof Gupta, are Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLA Nagrota, Ashok Khajuria, MLA City East, Sham Choudhary, MLA Suchetgarh and Sukhnandan Choudhary, MLA Marh.
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