Governor Ram Naik sent a reminder to the Election Commission of India (ECI) directing it to file an opinion on the disqualification of BSP MlA Uma Shankar Singh from the UP Assembly.
The Governor’s move came almost a year after with the ECI seemingly shelving the issue only to the benefit of the incumbent MlA. Earlier the ECI sought time on the issue citing Assembly polls in Bihar. But a few months after the polls, the ECI bosses are yet to apprise the Governor on the legal aspects of the issue which could help Naik take a decision.
Taking seriously to the inordinate delay by the ECI, Naik has now dispatched a reminder asking for the submission of their opinion at the earliest. Sources felt that the MlA could be inb trouble if the ECI sent their opinion at earliest.
In the beginning of 2015, Uma Shankar Singh, an MlA from Rasra (Ballia), was disqualified as a member pof the Vidhan Sabha by Governor Ram Naik on January 15, 2015 after a probe by lokayukta Justice (Retd) NK Mehrotra indicted him of taking contract even after becoming an MlA.
However, Singh got relief from the lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court which reinstated him as a member of the UP Assembly. A division bench of Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Rituraj Awasthi ordered for his reinstatement while rejecting the argument of scrapping his membership. Court directed that the ECI should not go with lokayukta’s findings but instead go through all the facts and than give it’s independent opinion so that further action could be taken. Since than the matter has been lying in the ECI court.