Governor Ram Naik disqualified Bahujan Samaj Party legislator Uma Shankar Singh from the membership of the Assembly on Saturday. Naik acted against Uma Shanker Singh after EC sent its report to the Raj Bhawan on January 10.
Elected to the Assembly in March 2012 from Rasra seat of Ballia, Singh was disqualified with retrospective effect from the date of his election in March 2012. Interestingly, the orders for disqualification of the MlA has been issued by the Governor for the second time in the last two years.
On December 18, 2013, lawyer Subhash Chandra Singh filed a complaint with UP lokayukta alleging that the MlA was working as a government contractor even after being elected to the assembly.
During the probe, the then lokayukta N K Mehrotra found the charges against the MlA correct and the Ombudsman recommended to the Governor for his disqualification on February 18, 2014. later, the EC too recommended disqualification of Uma Shanker Singh and another BJP MlA Bajrang Bahadur Singh.
In 2014, the Governor had given an opportunity to the two MlAs to submit their representation against the charges levelled. The duo personally met the Governor and submitte their replies after which Naik sought legal opinion.
On December 2, 2014, the Governor sought EC’s views on the lokayukta’s recommendations as their act was found to be in violation of the Representation of the People’s Act.
Naik issued the disqualification order of the MlA under Article 192(1) of the Constitution on Saturday directing Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey and the Chief Secretary to issue relevant orders immediately.
The disqualification will not have any political implications as Uma Shanker Singh has been fielded by the BSP and he is again contesting the elections from the same seat. However it has to be seen on how the government will recover the salary, allowances and other financial benefits availed by the MlA since March 6, 2012.
Singh was earlier disqualified by the Governor on January 29, 2015 along with BJP MlA from Pharenda seat of Maharajganj Bajranj Bahadur Singh. But later the High Court stayed the order against Singh and directed Election Commission to probe the matter again after which the Governor could decide on disqualification of the legislator.