Membership of four rebel JD-U MLAs terminated

PATNA: Four rebel JD(U) MLAs were today disqualified as members of Bihar Assembly on a charge of working against the party during the recent by-polls to two Rajya Sabha seats in the state.

Speaker Udai Narain Chaudhary handed over his ruling to the MLAs concerned, one of the disqualified MLAs Gyanendra Singh Gyanoo told reporters after coming out of the Speaker's chamber.

The four MLAs whose membership were annuled are Gyanoo (Barh), Neeraj Singh Babloo (Chhatapur), Ravindra Rai (Mahua) and Rahul Sharma (Ghosi).

The four disqualified MLAs were charged with going against the party in bypolls to two Rajya Sabha seats in the state in June this year and working as proposers and polling agents of rebel candidates Anil Sharma, a real estate baron, and expelled JD(U) leader Sabir Ali.

After RJD and Congress had extended support, the two official JD(U) candidates - diplomat-turned-politician Pawan Verma and Gulam Rasool Balyawi - had won from the two seats defeating the rebels.

Gyanoo and Neeraj Singh Babloo said the Speaker had told them that "we four will not even be given the status of ex-MLA."

When the Speaker was asked by reporters about the development, he said, "I have said whatever I had to say to the concerned MLAs."

The four disqualified MLAs described the decision as "unconstitutional" and said they would knock the door of Patna High Court against the disqualification.

The Speaker has called four other JD(U) MLAs facing similar charges on November 22. They are--Poonam Devi, Ajit Kumar, Suresh Chanchal and Raju Kumar Singh.