Over a month after lokayukt (Retd) Justice NK Mehrorta, took serious view of delay in taking decision on recommendation for disqualification of two legislators, the Election Commission of India (ECI) reportedly forwarded it’s opinion which would likely to cost membership from the State Assembly for both the MlAs. lokayukt, also dispacted a special report to governor Ram Naik, last month, requesting him to present Action Taken Report (ATR) on the above issue, on the Floor of the State Assembly. Now, if the two MlAs would lose their memberships from the House then this will be the first time that any MlA will be disqualified from the State Assembly for misusing position.
Sources said that the ECI finally sent it’s opinion on the issue to Governor, Ram Naik, on last Saturday. Though no official confirmation has been made by the Governor’s office in this regard, but sources confirmed that the Election Commission, had supported the findings of the lokayukt Justice (retd) NK Mehrotra. According to sources, now with the report of ECI, both the legislators, Bahujan Samaj Party MlA Uma Shankar Singh and Bharatiya Janta Party MlA Bajrang Bahadur Singh, would likely to lose their membership. Governor, would now likely to forward the recommendation to Speaker of the House for execution of the orders in the regard.
It may be mentioned that the Election Commission of India, so far kept the issue of disqualification of above MlAs from the membership of State Assembly under the wraps. It already summoned the complainant as well as the two legislators to here their arguments before giving its opinion but so far no final opinion has been made by the ECI. Uma Shankar Singh and Bajrang Bahadur Singh, who face threat of losing their memberships of the Assembly continue to enjoy the privileges, as ECI so far took no decision despite repeated reminders by the Governor.
The files relating to the two MlAs sent to the Election Commission by former Governor Bl Joshi more than six months back but they were gathering dust. Sources said that a powerful group in the BJP was taking keen interest in getting the decision delayed while the state Government was not serious on the issue. According to report, after former Governor Bl Joshi forwarded the files relating to the two MlAs to the Election Commission in February this year, four reminders were sent, seeking opinion of the poll panel on action against the two MlAs.
The former Governor had sought the Election Commission’s opinion after the lokayukta, found the two MlAs guilty of indulging in illegal activities by misusing their positions to procure lucrative government contracts. After the three reminders of Joshi, the present Governor Ram Naik, also sent a reminder to the Election Commission on July 31, asking it to decide the case and forward its recommendations for action against the two MlAs. Naik also reportedly sent fresh reminder in the matter to the ECI about a fortnight back.
The lokayukta recommended disqualification of the two MlAs from the Assembly after finding the charges of corrupt practices against them to be true. Both the MlAs are accused of misusing their position to get lucrative contracts of Public Works Department. Justice (Retd) Mehrotra was handed over the inquiry against the two MlAs in December last year.