The State BJP unit has welcomed the decision of Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Dinesh Oraon’s Court that gave big relief to six MLAs of ruling party quashing the petition filled by JVM Chief Babulal Marandi challenging their membership. Six out of eight MLAs from JVM in 2015 had joined the BJP amidst anti-defection clamour made by Marandi.
State BJP president and party MP, Laxman Gilua said, “The verdict of Speaker’s Court is victory of truth and judiciary. The Speaker’s Court after going through all the documents hearing the arguments from both the sides gave the judgment.”
Gilua also said that after the Speaker’s Court gave the Constitutional validity to joining of six JVM MLAs, the existence of Babulal Marandi’s party JVM comes to end. He said, “Babulal Marandi has no legal right to use the name, symbol and party flag of JVM.”
Echoing the views of Gilua, BJP MLA from Chhatarpur and party chief whip in Assembly, Radha Krishna Kishore said, “We welcome the decision of Speaker’s Court. The Speaker taking into account all Constitutional provisions had given the verdict. With today’s judgment the mouth of Opposition is closed as the Speaker has given the judgment after taking into account all the provisions. In the present case anti defection law was not applicable.”
He said, “Defection of six of the eight JVM MLAs to BJP was legally valid as the 1985 anti-defection law states that a split is permissible if 2/3rd of the members of legislature party cede from the parent party and join another party or form their own outfit.”
The Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985 introduced an anti-defection law through the 91st constitutional amendment with the introduction of Tenth Schedule.
Kishore claimed that as per the anti-defection law, the Speaker’s Court has all the power to decide such cases and the judgment of Speaker’s Court is legally valid; however, if any aggrieved party has any grievances they can approach at higher platforms.
Kishore said, “Today’s judgment calls for introspection of Babulal Marandi and his party’s style of functioning. In JVM there is no internal democracy. It is one man show with no second rank leadership.”
State BJP spokesperson and Gumla MLA, Shiv Shankar Oraon too welcomed the decison. Oraon claimed that in the present case anti defection law was not applicable.
JVM’s case was switching of six out of eight of the party MLAs to the BJP on February 11, 2015 post Assembly polls in 2015. Six MLAs namely Alok Kumar Chaurasia, Janki Prasad Yadav, Navin Jaiswal,
Ganesh Ganjhu, Randhir Singh and Amar Kumar Bauri had joined BJP. Later, Randhir Singh and Amar Kumar Bauri were made ministers in Raghubar Das led government while others were made heads of different boards.