Dhankhar disposes of disqualification petitions after parties request no action

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday disposed of petitions seeking the disqualification of three MPs from the NCP and NCP-SP after both parties requested no further action on the matter.

A petition under Rule 6(2) of the Members of Rajya Sabha (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1985, was submitted on November 20, 2023, by Praful Patel concerning Vandana Chavan and Fauzia Khan, both members of the Rajya Sabha. On November 21, 2023, another petition was filed by Chavan regarding Patel. These petitions were based on the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with disqualification on the grounds of defection.

During the morning session, Dhankhar informed the House that while the issue had been under his consideration, he had received two communications on February 3, 2025. One was from Sharad Pawar, leader of NCP-SP, and the other from Praful Patel, leader of NCP. Both requested that no further action be taken in the matter.

“After bestowing my earnest attention, while going into tenability of the petitions as also these contextual interventions, I find it expedient to give quietus to both the petitions and the same are accordingly disposed of,” Dhankhar said.

Chavan, upon the completion of her tenure, ceased to be a Member of the Rajya Sabha on April 2, 2024. Patel had resigned on February 27, 2024 and was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha for a six-year term starting April 3, 2024. Fauzia Khan’s term is set to end in April of the following year.