Already facing revolt from half a dozen MlAs who voted for another party’s candidates during the last Rajya Sabha polls, the Congress finally decided to move disqualification notice against the erring MlAs with the Speaker.
While they were expelled by the Congress for violatingthe party’s whip, the rebels have since joined the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Bharatiya Janta Party.
``It is now clear that our six MlAs who voted for other party’s candidates in Rajya Sabha polls ignoring the whip, are working against the Congress to help our opponents and had joined the BSP and the BJP respectively”, said Chairman of UP Congress Committee Media Cell, Satyadeo Tripathi.
Talking to media persons in lucknow on Thursday, Tripathi said that their move amounts to working against the party and in the interest of rival political party. “Hence their conduct is covered under the Anti-Defection law. The members should hence be disqualified from the House immediately and we will move an application with the Speaker in this regard,” Tripathi opined.
Earlier, except for Nadeem, three Muslim MlAs from Congress – Nawab Kazim Ali urf Naved Mian ( Saur seat), Dr Mohamed Muslim ( Tiloi seat) and Dilnawaz Khan ( Syara segment) had not given first preference vote to Congress candidate and instead voted for the BSP candidate. Similarly the Hindu MlAs - Madhuri Verma ( Nanpara seat), Vijay Kumar Dubey (Khadda seat), Sanjay Prasad Jaiswal (Rudauli seat) voted for the BJP candidate during the Rajya Sabha polls.
Even in Council polls, where Congress Deepak Singh managed to win the elections in the last round, party MlA’s in large numbers voted for rival candidates.
Taking strong action for violating the party whip, Congress expelled all six MlAs and served them notices. But instead of replying, these MlAs joined other political parties.