Patna HC upholds Narendra Singh's disqualification

The Patna High Court today upheld the Bihar Legislative Council chairman's decision to disqualify Narendra Singh from the membership of the Upper House.
"There is no reason to interfere with the order passed by the Chairman of Bihar Legislative Council and hence the petition is dismissed," a bench of Justice K K Mandal said.
The court passed the judgement on a petition filed by Narendra Singh challenging the Bihar Legislative Council chairman's decision to disqualify him from the membership of the upper house.
Singh was a JD(U) MLC who campaigned for former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) in 2015 assembly polls.

It may be noted that Legislative Council chairman Awadesh Narayan Singh had on January 6 this year disqualified the rebel JD(U) MLC Narendra Singh under 10th schedule of the Constitution.
The JD(U) chief whip in the Legislative Council Sanjay Kumar Singh alias Sanjay Gandhi had petitioned the chairman of the Upper House for disqualification of five rebel party MLCs on charge of their involvement in anti-party activities during Assembly polls.

Appearing for JD(U), senior advocate P K Shahi contended that Narendra Singh was a JD(U) MLC but he was a star campaigner for HAM(S) in the Assembly polls of 2015 and hence Singh's actions amounted to no trust in the party and voluntarily giving up the party.

Singh's counsel S B K Mangalam, who was assisted by advocate Ravi Ranjan, countered the allegations levelled by the party for disqualifying his membership.
Mangalam submitted that Singh was not given proper opportunity for putting his side.
The documents collected from Election Commission by the Council secretariat was handed over to him in the afternoon of January 5 while the interim order disqualifying him from the membership of the house was passed the very next day in the evening, Singh's lawyer said.
The allegations levelled against Singh- that he was the member of HAM(S) or he was instrumental in getting the party registered- were not supported by evidence, Mangalam said.