MP: Cong MLA's caste certificate found to be valid

A Madhya Pradesh government committee mandated to look into complaints regarding caste documents has found Congress MLA Jajpal Singh Jajji's certificate valid.

Jajji is a legislator from Ashoknagar Assembly seat, which is reserved for those hailing from Scheduled Caste communities.

In its order on December 18, the committee said Jajji's certificate, which showed he was from the Nat community, was valid and proper.

The order has been sent to the district collector, officials said.

The caste certificate verification was needed in Jajji's case after a petition was filed in the Gwalior bench of the MP High Court alleging discrepancies.

The order is a setback to the opposition BJP which had been claiming Jajji got elected from a reserved seat using a fake caste certificate, and was demanding his disqualification from the Assembly.

Meanwhile, with the death of Banwarilal Sharma, the Congress MLA from Jaura in Morena district, on Saturday morning after a prolonged illness, the party's tally in the 230-member House has come down to 114, two short of a simple majority.

The Kamal Nath government has the support of two BSP, one SP and four Independent MLAs.

The opposition BJP has 108 members in the House.