The status of Babulal Marandi as Leader of Opposition (LoP) hangs in balance after the Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto dismissed the petitions of merger of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) with other parties. In February this year three JVM MLAs including party chief Babulal Marandi, Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey left JVM merging with other parties. While, JVM chief Marandi joined BJP staking claim as Leader of Opposition (LoP), the two others Yadav and Tirkey joined Congress.
Both the factions had made representation in the Speaker’s Court with the plea stating that their group is original, stressing on legal and Constitutional merger with BJP and Congress respectively. However, on Monday the Speaker dismissed both parties’ merger urging them to appear at his Court either personally or through their lawyer before the Speaker Court on November 23.
According to sources at Jharkhand Assembly, as Speaker Court is yet to take a final decision on merger of both the factions, it is unlikely that Marandi will be given the LoP status. A senior officer at Assembly requesting anonymity said, “The Speaker Court has summoned both the fraction of November 23 for presenting their stand. In such a situation it is unlikely that Marandi will get LoP status at this time.”
The officer giving an instance of 2015 merger of six JVM MLAs with BJP said, “The then Speaker Court of Dinesh Oroan took four and half years to take a final decision on validating the merger of six JVM MLAs with BJP.”
The officer further said, “While Marandi’s plea is that merger was made after two third party working committee member decided to merge the party with BJP also in Rajya Sabha election the Election Commission has considered Marandi as BJP member, while the two others (Yadav and Tirkey) were given the status of independent lawmakers. However, Yadav and Tirkey’s plea is that on strength of MLAs in House they merger with Congress is legal and constitutional.”
The BJP plea is that on February 17, 2020, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha Prajatantrik (JVM-P) merged with BJP and regarding this information was given to Election Commission and Speaker of the House. The Election Commission (EC) has also agreed to this on March 6, 2020 issued a letter giving its consent about the merger of JVM with BJP, but despite the Chair has yet to take a final decision.
The BJP had raised the matter at Assembly Court disrupting House proceedings in the last Budget session. BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi intervening on the issue urged the Speaker to take a decision on the issue. Marandi, the Dhanwar MLA, assured that the BJP MLAs will not enter in the well of the House with this demand, at the same said that the Speaker has the right to give Opposition leader recognition to whomever he wants.