Amid the ongoing political turmoil in the State, Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto may announce his decision on membership of BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi anytime soon.
Objecting to the proceedings, BJP Assembly leader Babulal Marandi filed a writ petition in the Jharkhand High Court. According to Babulal, without hearing his evidence and arguments, the Speaker referred the case to the tribunal without deciding the matter. Babulal referred to the bench of Justice Rajesh Shankar for expeditious hearing of the writ petition filed on Marandi’s behalf.
On Tuesday, the Jharkhand High Court directed to issue notice to Congress MLA Dipika Pandey Singh to know her side in a petition filed by BJP legislature party chief Babulal Marandi challenging the Speaker tribunal’s step to reserve verdict in a defection case involving Marandi without giving the latter an opportunity to present his argument.
The development took place in the court of Justice Rajesh Shanker after an affidavit was filed on behalf of the Assembly challenging the maintainability of Marandi’s petition in the High Court.
Pandey is being issued the notice to know her side as it is she who had filed petition in the matter of defection involving Marandi before the speaker’s tribunal. The next hearing in the matter will take place on November 9.
It is possible that on this day, Congress MLA Deepika Pandey Singh should present her side. Senior advocates of Jharkhand High Court VP Singh and Vinod Sahu are defending this case of Babulal Marandi. The matter is likely to become more interesting with the entry of complainant MLA Deepika Pandey Singh in this case.
BJP leader Babulal Marandi has filed written arguments in the court. According to this, they allege that the Speaker's Tribunal has not followed the entire procedure. Without this, the Speaker has completed the hearing and has reserved his decision. The list of witnesses he had provided was not considered. After completing the hearing without hearing the witnesses, the Speaker reserved the verdict. Babulal Marandi says that till the hearing of this matter is going on in the Jharkhand High Court, the speaker's proceedings should be stayed.
It may be recalled that Babulal Marandi during the 2019 Assembly elections had contested the election of JVM ticket along with Bandhu Tirkey from Mandar and Pradeep Yadav from Poreyahat. After the Assembly elections, Babulal Marandi merged his party Jharkhand Vikas Morcha Party with BJP. However, the other two MLAs Tirkey and Yadav opposed the move and knocked the Speaker’s court on the issue of anti-defection.