JJP writes to Haryana Speaker, seeks disqualification of 2 MLAs

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, May 17

The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) today wrote a letter to the state Speaker demanding the disqualification of two party MLAs for their involvement in “anti-party” activities under the anti-defection law (10th Schedule of the Constitution).

Will examine letter

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My office has received a letter from the JJP. I will examine it before taking the next course of action. — Gian Chand Gupta, speaker

The Speaker has been requested to terminate the membership of Jogi Ram Sihag (Barwala) and Ram Niwas Surjakheda (Narwana) for supporting BJP candidates in the election campaign for the parliamentary elections. “The MLAs had been campaigning for the BJP candidates instead of the official JJP candidates during the poll campaigns,” said JJP’s office secretary Randhir Singh.

He said the Office of the Speaker, which acted as a tribunal on the disqualification matters of the legislators under the anti-defection law, had been moved following a due legal process. “The MLAs were served legal notices multiple times for their anti-party activities, but never replied to them,” said Singh.

He said that pictures of MLAs’ poll campaign for the BJP, copies of their interviews to the print and electronic media and their social media posts extending support to the saffron party had been sent as evidences to the Speaker.

Confirming that his office had received a letter from the JJP, Speaker Gupta said he would examine the letter before deciding the next course of action. The two legislators are part of a five-member group of the “rebel” MLAs, who are reportedly cosying up the BJP after the split of BJP and JJP in March this year.

While the JJP might have pre-empted any move by the MLAs to split the party, it is going to be advantage BJP in case of floor test of the “minority” Nayab Singh Saini government if the two legislators are disqualified.

In the House of 88, the BJP has the support of 43 MLAs, including two Independents and one from Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP). In the event of CM Saini winning the Karnal bypoll, the effective strength of the BJP would touch 44 if there are 86 members in all. Recently, three Independent MLAs withdrew the support to the BJP.