SC issues notices to MLA Stephen Marandi

New Delhi, Sep 4 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notices to former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha(JMM) leader and presently MLA of Jharkhand, Stephen Marandi and Jharkhand State Legislative Assembly on a petition seeking his disqualification as MLA.

Petitioner former MLA Kamal Kant Prasad Sinha is seeking Marandi's disqualification on the ground that he could not continue as independent MLA after voluntarily resigning from the membership of his original party.

Marandi was earlier elected to Rajya Sabha on JMM ticket but after having been elected to the State Assembly from Dumka constituency he resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat. Marandi also became the Chairperson of Public Accounts Committee of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly.

A Bench comprising Mr Justice KG Balakrishnan and Mr Justice DK Jain issued notices after hearing the counsel for the petitioner who contended that Marandi was liable to be disqualified as MLA in view of the provision of paragraph II(1)(a) of the tenth schedule of the constitution which says that no one cancontinue to be an MLA or MP after resigning from the party on whose ticket he was elected.

UNI AKS/SC MS PC1845