Jharkhand BJP is now exploring legal options to persuade Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto to notify Babulal Marandi as leader of opposition as party insiders confided that the party has thick indications that assembly speaker acting under pressure of the Government is in no mood to acknowledge constitutional status of Marandi.

“This is a political battle and it will be a legal battle too if the ruling party wishes so. It is evident from the mood, statement and act of the government and assembly that they have no intention to notify Marandi as leader of Opposition. We are exploring legal options,” said a source in the BJP.

Sources in the BJP said that the party is consulting constitutional experts and lawyers and it is likely that the party may approach the high court against delay caused by the office of the Speaker in this regard.

Marandi who was Jharkhand’s first CM, had left the BJP in 2006 and formed a new political outfit named as Jharkhand Vikas Morcha. After a gap of 14 years Marandi merged his party with the BJP in February this year. In the last assembly election, the JVM won three seats. Marandi was one of the three MLAs who won the election. However, Bandhu Tirkey and Pradeep Yadav, the two other MLAs were opposed to the merger and they were expelled from the party for their anti party activities ahead of the merger. Technically, Marandi remained the lone JVM MLA who merged the party in the BJP. Right after that merger; Marandi was elected as leader of opposition during the meeting of the BJ legislative body.

Citing objections raised by two of the expelled JVM MLAs who questioned merger of the JVM in the BJP; assembly speaker kept the matter on hold. During the budget session of assembly, the BJP stormed the house on this issue on several occasions.

“Assembly speaker is delaying notification of Marandiji as leader of opposition with deliberate intention. This is nothing but political vendetta. Election Commission of India (ECI) has approved merger of the JVM in the BJP and Marandiji even cast his vote in the recently held Rajya Sabha election as the BJP MLA. ECI also rejected the claim of two of the expelled JVM MLAs that they represent actual JVM and they have merged the JVM in the Congress,” said state BJP spokesperson Pradeep Kumar Sinha. 

The BJP is the single largest opposition party in the assembly and the assembly speaker has no proper explanation if legislative norms are being flouted. The office of the speaker has issued a fresh notice to Marandiji asking him to reply by 17 September that whether or not merger of the JVM with the BJP was valid. The party raised this issue during the assembly session and we also took the matter before the governor. We are ready for a legal battle also,” said Sinha.