The Patna High Court on Thursday annulled the lok Sabha membership of Sasaram BJP MP Chhedi Paswan over concealing some cases pending against him in his election affidavit. Responding to the judgment, Paswan, who defeated former lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar with a margin of 63,327 votes in 2014 polls, said he has nothing to hide and will challenge the verdict.
A single Bench judge of KK Mandal pronounced the order of revoking Paswan’s membership on a petition filed by one Ganga Mishra, who alleged that Paswan did not mention in his affidavit three criminal cases pending against him. The court found the charges true.
Paswan, 60, who had earlier been in the RJD and the JD(U), had also served as Minister in Bihar. He was elected to the lok Sabha on Janata Dal tickets in 1989 and 1991 but lost in 1996 to BJP’s Munni lal. He joined the BJP in 2013 after being dropped from the Nitish Kumar Government.
Reacting to the court order, Paswan tweeted, “It was not purpose. I have nothing to hide. Will surely challenge this verdict.”
He also said that he respected the court order but he suspected some “politics” behind this verdict.
Ganga Mishra, a political activist, is supposed to be close to Meira Kumar. Meira Kumar commented that her faith in the judiciary further strengthened following this order. However, she denied any role in filing of the petition.