Disqualification sought against 7 Independent MLAs in Haryana

Chandigarh, Feb 22 (PTI) INLD today filed a petitionunder the anti-defection law before the acting Speaker ofHaryana Assembly Akram Khan seeking the disqualification ofseven Independent MLAs, who are presently either ministers orchief parliamentary secretaries in the Hooda government.

The seven members against whom the petition was filedare -- Om Parkash Jain, Sukhbir Kataria, Gopal Kanda, SultanSingh, Jaleb Khan, Parlhad Singh Gilakhera and Shiv CharanSharma.

Satya Pal Jain, counsel of INLD leader S S Badshami,said that all these MLAs had been elected as Independents inthe last Assembly polls held in October, 2009.

These MLAs extended their support in the formation ofthe government as Congress had got only 40 out of 90 seats,falling short by six seats to attain the simple majority, hesaid.

O P Jain, Sukhbir Kataria and Gopal Kanda were givenministerial berths, while the rest were appointed as chiefparliamentary secretaries.

"Not only this, all these seven members thereafterhave been participating in the meetings and rallies organisedby the Congress party in Haryana from time to time," healleged.

Under the Constitution''s 10th Schedule, an independentMLA has to remain as an independent throughout the term of theVidhan Sabha and in case he joins any political party, he isliable to be disqualified from the membership of the House,Jain said.

Earlier, Haryana Janhit Congress president KuldeepBishnoi had filed disqualification petitions before the officeof the Speaker, seeking disqualification of five MLAs who wereelected as HJC candidates in the 2009 polls, but subsequentlymerged themselves with the Congress.