Cong urges EC to prevent BJP MLA from voting in RS polls

Congress today petitioned the Election Commission to prevent BJP MLA Rajendra Kumar Meshram from voting in the biennial polls for Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, citing a Supreme Court order which barred the legislator from exercising his franchise.
Meshram is the MLA from Devsar (SC) seat in Singrauli district.
"The Supreme Court has restrained Meshram from voting and availing other benefits that an elected MLA enjoys and only allowed him to take part in the state assembly proceedings," Congress spokesman and senior lawyer J P Dhanopia told PTI.
The Congress nominee, Vivek Tankha, petitioned the EC urging it to prevent Meshram from voting in the biennial polls in light of the Supreme Court order, he said.

Dhanopia said Tankha had also appended the SC order with the petition on the issue.
Meshram's election was challenged by the Congress leader Vansh Mani Prasad Verma in the Madhya Pradesh High Court which had ruled against the BJP MLA in the matter.

The High Court has nullified the membership of Meshram after Verma challenged his election on the ground of using unfair means to win the polls in May 2015, he said, adding Meshram had later filed an appeal against it in the Supreme Court, which stayed the HC order on a conditional basis.
The apex court passed a conditional order stating that Meshram can take part in the house proceedings as a member, but will not have voting right and other benefits till the final order is passed in the matter, Dhanopia said.

The Congress nominee demanded from the EC to prevent Meshram from taking part in the voting.