RJD MLA and former minister Ilyas Hussain disqualified from Bihar Assembly

MLA Mohd Ilyas Hussain of the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar was disqualified on Tuesday with effect from the date on which he was convicted in a corruption case by a CBI court in Ranchi two months ago.

According to a notification issued by the Vidhan Sabha, Hussain, who represented Dehri assembly segment in Rohtas district, has been disqualified with effect from September 27, when he was convicted and awarded five years in prison in connection with the bitumen scam of the early 1990s involving defalcation of Rs 18.75 lakh when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the chief minister of the undivided Bihar.

Hussain was the minister for road construction during the period. With his disqualification, the number of RJD MLAs in the 243-strong assembly has been reduced to 80.

The RJD had won 80 seats in the 2015 assembly polls, emerging as the single largest party, and had improved its tally earlier this year when it wrested Jokihat from the JD(U).