MlAs to resign from Assembly soon
Finding in a tight spot in front of Assembly Speaker five Jharkhand Vikas Morcha MlAs are set to put in their papers on Monday or Tuesday. The faction has also decided to boycott the hearing fixed in the Speaker’s court on Monday accusing Shashank Shekhar Bhokta of prejudice.
“He is acting with prejudice. He is not allowing our affidavits, undertaking etc which suggest that we have made the new party and has its new elected president and leader of the legislative body. He is just toeing line that action would be taken under the Article 10 (anti-defection law). When that sort of things are going to happen then there is no point attending the biased hearing. We would rather resign from the House in a day or two,” Nirbhay Shahabadi, the Giridih MlA told The Pioneer on Sunday.
Sindri legislator Phulchand Mandal though hinted that their future course of action may come after slated hearing on Monday in the Speaker’s court.
“I may appear tomorrow before the Speaker. Thereafter it would be decided what to do. Anything regarding resignation from the House would be decided only after hearing is complete,” said Mandal. The group of five—Samresh Singh, Phulchand Mandal, Nibhay Sahabadi, Jai Prakash Bhokta and Chandrika Mahtha—has separated themselves from the Babulal Marandi led party claiming the faction as the actual JVM.
The faction, which also counts upon few more sitting party MlAs, had later merged into the BJP and consequently facing charges under anti-defection provisions.
“We have heard that Nizamuddin Ansari and Dhullu Mahto did not attend a party functions recently. They may come our way. We are also in talks with Garhwa MlA Satyendra Nath Tiwari who is mulling to cross over after Bhado (Hindi calendar month considered inauspicious for any new beginning) is over,” added Sahabadi.
Assembly Speaker Shashank Shekhar Bhokta on the other hand however looked unfazed with all this. “I have not got anything of this sort (resignation from the House) in writing from them as of now. I will hold a hearing on Monday and give the last chance to the present MlAs to defend. I would deliver my judgment after few days as the decision has to be written,” Bhokta said.
The Speaker also added that in the similar case of JMM legislator Simon Marandi time had been given to the littipara MlA till August 26 to respond to the notice issued to him. Marandi had also without resigning from his parent party joined the saffron party.