Assembly Speaker Shashank Shekhar Bhokta gave time till August 11 to the JVM rebel legislators to present their side of story which eventually would be the last chance to safeguard their membership of the House. Earlier, the group of four who had broken away first from the Babulal Marandi headed party for joining hands with the BJP was given time till Thursday to respond.
“They came before me and sought for some more time to present their case. I have fixed August 11 for hearing their matter and would decide the matter thereafter,” said the Speaker following a brief hearing today. After the meeting Giridih MlA Nirbhay Shahabadi confirmed that more time was required to present evidences before the Speaker.
Nevertheless the fate of the disgruntled MlAs Chandrika Mahtha, Nirbhay Shahabadi, Samresh Singh and Jaiprakash Bhokta seems to be sealed as the Speaker sounded remorseless. “I am not concerned with their claims about forming a new party and working committee. I would also treat the two breakaways a separate matter. I have sufficient evidence and media reports to nail that claims about new party etc,” Bhokta told The Pioneer which had reported about the Speaker’s stand to deal the case of four MlAs separately from one Phulchand Mandal.
Moreover, Shahabadi looked confident in his claim that the faction had sufficient number under its sleeves to duck the anti-defection law provisions. “We are five already and two more JVM legislators are in our touch. Seven members are sufficient to form a separate group with all legitimacy. We would present all before the Speaker on August 11,” said Shahabadi but refused to name the other two. As per the anti-defection law 2/3 members of a party are required to get away with disqualification which may require eight members in this case as the JVM originally had 11 members in the House.
However, the ride of the faction may prove bumpy after the Speaker’s stand to treat the four MlAs and Phulchand Mandal as separate breakaways. It also got doubled with Mandal, unlike the others, resigning from his parent party JVM. “He has sent his resignation to me and he is no longer a member of the Assembly,” said the Speaker.
Though not of much significance as just over two months are left in fresh elections in the State the MlAs, if got disqualified, would be stripped of their MlAlAD fund at the last moment.