SC to hear break away BSP MLAs on Mar 6

New Delhi, Mar 3 (UNI) The Supreme Court will hear on March 6 the petition filed by the breakaway Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs, challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict, holding their defection illegal.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Mr Justice C K Thakkar and Justice R V Raveendran fixed the date of hearing after the matter was mentioned before the bench for fixing an early date of hearing.

Twenty nine out of 40 Lok Tantrik Bahujan Dal MLAs have appealed against the High Court judgement dated February 28.

The High Court had declared the defection of these MLAs as illegal and referred the matter to UP Assembly Speaker for taking a decision on their disqualification under the anti-defection law.

The petitioners have pleaded that their number was more than one-third of the total strength of the BSP in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly when they formed a new group. Hence it was a split and not defection.

The then UP Speaker Kesarinath Tripathi had recognised the breakaway group as Loktantrik Bahujan Dal on September 6, 2003.

BSP supremo Mayawati had alleged that the defections from her party have been engineered by state Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav through corrupt means, such as money and allurement for ministerial berth. Ms Mayawati had lost power in 2003 and had recommended dissolution of the state assembly and had recommended fresh elections in the state.

Mr Yadav however, managed to cobble-up a majority after defectors from BSP joined him.

More AKS/SC CS KN1245