BSP rebel Swami Prasad Maurya loses Assembly membership

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey today disqualified Swami Prasad Maurya, a rebel BSP leader who later defected to BJP, from the membership of the House.
An official release issued here said the Speaker has accepted a petition by BSP Legislature Party Leader Gaya Charan Dinkar in this regard and Maurya ceases to be member of the House with effect from June 22.
Dinakar had moved a petition citing the announcement made by Maurya at a press conference on June 22 and subsequent actions to prove that Maurya had on his own quit the party on whose ticket he had been elected.

Citing various rules, the BSP said Maurya is no longer qualified to be a member of the party as he quit it on his will and so he should be disqualified from the state Assembly and facilities and emoluments he enjoys as an MLA be withdrawn with effect from from June 22.
Maurya, who had quit the party saying he felt "suffocated" and accusing BSP chief Mayawati of "auctioning" tickets for 2017 Assembly polls, subsequently joined BJP.
According to Vidhan Sabha officials, Maurya, who was Leader of Opposition before he left BSP, was given two opportunities to present his case but he failed to turn up before the Speaker on both the occasions, giving various reasons.