Marandi files petition in HC challenging Speaker's merger decision

JVM chief Babulal Marandi has filed a writ petition in the Jharkhand High Court challenging the Assembly Speaker's decision to approve the merger of six party MLAs with the BJP.

The former chief minister and the Legislature Party Leader of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Pradip Yadav, filed the petition on Tuesday, pleading the court to quash Speaker Dinesh Oraon's ruling as it was "unconstitutional" because he did not give "attention to several facts".

The petitioners claimed that the Speaker allegedly overlooked the anti-disqualification law under the 10th Schedule and allowed the merger of the six JVM MLAs.

The petitioners also claimed that only six MLAs had left the JVM and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and that the Election Commission had recognized the JVMs bylaws, which "found the merger did not take place".

The Speaker had on February 20 said he went through all the legal points and found that their merger with the BJP was "legal".

The turncoat MLAs are - Amar Kumar Bauri (Land & Revenue Minister), Randhir Kumar Singh (Agriculture Minister), Naveen Jaiswal, Ganesh Ganju, Janki Yadav and Alok Kumar Chourasia.

Along with their supporters the MLAs joined the BJP on February 11, 2015 and asked the Speaker to allot them separate seats with the ruling party in the House as they have merged with the BJP along with 2/3rd of the JVM party members.

The writ petition filed by Marandi has not yet been listed in the high court.