Patna High Court reserves order on JD(U) MLA Renu Kushwaha's writ

PATNA: Patna High Court today reserved its order for tomorrow on a petition by legislator Renu Kushwaha challenging the notice of dismissal of her membership from JD(U) even as the speaker granted one more day to her and another party MLA to reply to the show cause issued to them.

Justice Jyoti Saran reserved his order on the petition for tomorrow after hearing petitioner's counsel S B K Mangalam and the government advocate.

Mangalam told the court that there was no ground for applying the anti-defection law as Kushwaha had not violated the party whip though being suspended. Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore appearing for the state told the court that it was a matter of the assembly and the court has no jurisdiction to interfere in it.

Meanwhile, as per direction of Speaker Udai Narayan Choudhary to the two MLAs to submit their replies to the show cause 11.30 am today, Kushwaha and Anu Shukla met him and sought time till tomorrow for submitting their replies.

The speaker accepted their prayer and granted them an additional day time, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shrawan Kumar told reporters.

The two were issued show cause on June 12 on the recommendations of JD(U) Chief Whip Shrawan Kumar for dismissal of their membership under anti-defection law.

Shukla, MLA from Lalganj who had unsuccessfully contested general election from Vaishali as independent, fell in line and said she has no grievance with the state government.

She told reporters that former chief minister Nitish Kumar was her leader and she would abide by his direction on whom to support in the July 19 Rajya Sabha bypoll.