Next hearing in rebel SP MLAs case on Aug 10

Lucknow, Aug 7 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey today fixed August 10 as the next date of hearing in the case related to disqualification of five ruling Samajwadi Party MLAs.

Counsel for the MLA Kalyan Singh Dohre, maintained, the speaker had no right to hear the disqualification case under the 10th schedule as it was directly related to elections.

Referring to a Orissa High Court decision, the counsel said no party could issue a whip for Rajya Sabha or other elections forcing the members to cast their votes for a particular candidate.

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

Submitting their objections, the counsel for rebel MLAs 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 nothing 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 Maidan on April 30 addressed by BSP chief 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 YA ND1722