Jharkhand Assembly Speaker to start hearing on MLAs’ disqualification from Monday

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi October 19

"I am firmly committed to pass the final verdict on the cases of disqualifications pending against the MLAs of the State Assembly for the last couple of years and I am sure that there is no full proof legislative solution to problems — the elected representatives shift their loyalty, unless voters choose their representatives cautiously,” the Speaker of Jharkhand State Assembly Alamgir Alam told The Pioneer on Saturday.

Addressing the pending issue of the disqualification of a dozen MLAs belonging to the BJP, Independents and others under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution that prompted the High Court of Jharkhand to ask the office of the Speaker to finalise these cases without further delay, Alam reiterated: “I am under no pressure of any kind and find no reason to defer the decision.”

The office of the Speaker has finally clinched the date of the hearing of the cases of disqualifications falling under Article 191 [2] of 10th Schedule from October 20. Starting the first batch of hearing notice has been sent notice to three MLAs — Minister of Rural Development Enos Ekka, Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi and Water Resource Minister Kamlesh Kumar Singh to defend their case.

Enos Ekka whose disqualification was sought by president of Jharkhand Party, NE Horo will appear on Monday while Marandi’s case of disqualification would be heard on October 25. The last in the list, Kamlesh Kumar Singh would appear on November 10 to defend himself from disqualification as sought by Dinesh Kumar Sarangi and Saryu Rai of the BJP. The case of disqualification of other ‘independent’ MLAs and Minister in the State Government — Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Bandhu Tirkey and Sudesh Kumar Mahto of All Jharkhand Student’s Union are pending with the Speaker.

Going into the details of the schedule of the hearing Alam said, “The cases of another MLAs probably the five suspended BJP MLAs who are facing charges of disqualifications, would also be be taken up subsequemtly and I wish to finish all these cases by the end of the month hopefully.”

These five BJP MLAs — Pradeep Yadav, Ravindra Kumar Rai, Kunti Singh, Vishnu Kumar Bhaiya and Manohar Tekriwal were suspended by the State BJP for their anti-party activities. They not only sided with the Jharkhand Vikash Morcha (JVM) of Babulal Marandi but also campaigned against the BJP in a couple of elections.

Later, Vishnu Kumar Bhaiya and Manohar Tekriwal shifted loyalty to the JMM and extended their support to Shibu Soren in his bid to form the Government. The disqualification issue came to the fore again when the BJP which is also the main opposition party in the State Assembly demanded their disqualification by setting deadline before the Speaker falling which the party threatened to launch agitation.

On August 28, a day before the trust vote tabled by Chief Minister Soren, the Speaker suspended the voting right of the two suspended MLAs of the BJP — Vishnu Prasad Bhaiya, MLA Jamtara and Manohar Kumar Tekriwal.

Terming the frequent changes of MLAs, a tendency that gained ground among the MLAs of the smaller States like Goa, North-East State and Jharkhand prominently where the survival of the Governments critically depends upon hairline majority, Alam said: “After wining an election, MLAs have no right to go against the party line nor can they take their voters for a ride.”

‘Resign from the Assembly; seek a fresh mandate if you feel the party and its policy suffocating,’ was Alam’s advice to the legislators.