Assembly speaker's notices to 5 LBD MLAs

Lucknow, Apr 10 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey today issued notices to five Loktantrik Bahujan Dal (LBD) MLAs for returning to BSP and voting against party whip in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha by-elections.

The Speaker has asked the five MLAs -- Jaiveer Singh, Surendra Vikram Singh, Dharampal Singh, Ramji Shukla and Ramkrishna -- to file their replies by April 17.

Earlier on Thursday, LBD leader Yogesh Pratap Singh had moved a petition for the disqualification of these legislators for voting against party whip and rejoining the BSP.

LBD is the separate group in the UP assembly comprising 38 MLAs.

They had switched over from the BSP in September, 2003 and later merged with the ruling Samajwadi Party in UP.

However, the Allahabad High Court had given a ruling identifying them as a separate entity.

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