The fate of BJP leader Babulal Marandi has been sealed as the Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto has completed the hearing of the anti-defection complaint against him. The Speaker Court after hearing the pleas of both Marandi and other parties has reserved its judgment.

Sources at Assembly said that the Speaker Court is likely going to give its judgment against Marandi and he is likely to lose his membership of Jharkhand Assembly. Meanwhile, Speaker’s Court will hear the disqualification matter of Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey on September 2.

Marandi merged his party JVM (P) with the BJP on February 17, 2020 after ousting his two other party legislators, Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey, who claimed that they represent the real JVM (P) and they later merged the party with the Congress.

The tribunal headed by the Speaker turned down the demand of Marandi’s advocate who wanted an examination of witnesses to prove their points that the JVM was lawfully merged with the BJP as per the provisions laid down in the anti-defection law.

The JVM was a three-member legislative body after the last Assembly election including Babulal Marandi, Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey.

The BJP nominated Marandi as its legislature party leader and petitioned the speaker to grant him Leader of Opposition status. However, the speaker initiated proceedings under the anti-defection law on his own.

When Marandi challenged the speaker’s powers to initiate proceedings on his own in Jharkhand high court, the speaker received five complaints that sought Marandi’s disqualification on the ground that the JVM (P) merger with BJ was illegal. The complaints were filed by former CPI (ML) legislator, Rajkumar Yadav, two sacked JVM(P) legislators, Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey, Congress legislator, Deepika Pandey, and JMM legislator Bhushan Tirkey.

The BJP retaliated by filing a petition to challenge ex-JVM (P) lawmakers Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey joining the Congress and sought their disqualification.