Next hearing in rebel SP MLAs case on Aug 7

Lucknow, July 31 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey today fixed August 7 as the next date of hearing in the case related to disqualification of five ruling Samajwadi Party MLAs.

Mr Pandey, who is expected to leave for foreign tour on August 10, is likely to give his verdict on the case before flying off.

Two MLAs -- Kamlesh Pathak and Ratan Lal Ahirwar -- appeared for the first time in the case and received the duplicate copy of the speaker's notice against them on the SP petiton.

During the hearing, counsel of MLA Kalyan Singh Dohre, demanded certified copies of the SP whip issued for the Rajya Sabha polls and the SP by-laws. In a seperate application moved before the speaker, the MLA also sought physical presence of SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav and other members of the SP parliamentary board for evidence.

These five legislators had voted in favour of the BSP in the recently held Rajya Sabha and legislative council polls.

The speaker was moved when MLA Ratan Lal Arhirwal, who came for Orai jail, was in tears narrating the harrassment to him and his two sons on the direction of the Jhansi district SP leaders. He urged Mr Pandey to direct Orai authorities to shift him back to Jhansi jail, where his two sons were lodged in connection with criminal cases.

Submitting their objections, the counsel of rebel MLA Kalyan Singh Dohre, Sunderlal and Omvati maintained that 10th Schedule of the Constitution does not pertain to electoral activities.

''Any person has full right to exercise his/her franchise and there is no binding on them,'' the counsel asserted.

Sunderlal also submitted he had not left the SP and also did not attend the BSP meeting, as mentioned in the petition.

The speaker served the notices to five MLAs on June 27 on a petition filed by SP general secretary and state PWD minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, claiming they had voted in favour of BSP candidates in the recently concluded RS polls in violation of party whip.

The petition also charged these MLAs attended a BSP workers meeting at Ambedkar Maiden on April 30 addressed by Ms Mayawati.

The RS elections, held on March 28, witnessed large number of cross voting by the legislators.

The rebel SP MLAs include Omvati Devi, Sunder Lal Kuriel, Kamlesh Pathak, Kalyan Singh Dohre and Ratan Lal Ahirwar.

The speaker had already disqualified assembly membership of five MLAs belonging to Loktrantrik Bahujan Dal (LBD), who had switched over to BSP on March 1. The disqualified LBD members are Jaiveer Singh, Surendra Vikram Singh, Dharampal, Ramji Shukla and Ramkrishna.

UNI MB VS MSJ RK1738