BJP seeks disqualification of rebel MPs

Chandigarh, Jul 24 (UNI) Having expelled the eight MPs who defied the party's whip in Tuesday's confidence vote in the Lok Sabha, the BJP has now sought their disqualification under the anti-defection law.

The party filed eight separate petitions before the Speaker, urging him to initiate proceedings for their qualification under the anti-defection law, senior BJP leader Satya Pal Jain, who is former convenor of the Legal Cell of the party, said here today.

''We have urged the Speaker not only to initiate proceedings against the tainted MPs immediately but also to complete them at the earliest,'' Mr Jain said and added that he and BJP leader Santosh Gangwar met the Speaker personally and filed the petitions yesterday.

If all the MPs who defied the whip of their respective parties in confidence vote, including the eight BJP members, were disqualified under the anti-defection law, the UPA government would once again be reduced to a minority government, Mr Jain claimed.

The BJP MPs expelled by the party were Mr Brajbhushan Sharan Singh (UP), Mr Somabhai Patel and Mr Babubhai Katara (Gujarat), Mr Manjunath Kunnur, Mr H T Sangliana and Mrs Manorama Madhwaraj (Karnataka), Mr Chandrabhan Singh (MP) and Mr Haribhau Rathod (Maharashtra).

These MPs had either cross voted or abstained or remained absent during the trust vote.

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