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3 Jharkhand Congress MLAs caught with ₹49L cash stare at disqualification
The three suspended legislators are currently in Kolkata, as per the condition laid by Calcutta high court while granting them interim bail, even as the West Bengal CID is investigating the case.
Ranchi: Three suspended Congress legislators who were arrested in Kolkata on July 30 with cash, which the party alleged was paid to topple the Hemant Soren government, are now facing disqualification from the Jharkhand assembly.
Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto has issued notices to the three leaders — Jamtara legislator Irfan Ansari, Khijri MLA Rajesh Kachhap and Kolebira legislator Naman Bixal Kongari — seeking their clarification on the complaint against them by September 1.
“The speaker has sent the notice on recommendation of Congress legislature party leader Alamgir Alam,” said Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur. “Now the matter is in the preview of the Speaker. He will take further action accordingly.”
The development comes at a time when the state is in midst of a major political turmoil, owing to the impending threat over membership of chief minister Hemant Soren in Jharkhand assembly for allegedly holding an office-of-profit.
The three suspended legislators are currently in Kolkata, as per the condition laid by Calcutta high court while granting them interim bail, even as the West Bengal CID is investigating the case.
The three MLAs were caught with ₹49 lakh cash in their car on the outskirts of Howrah on July 30. A day later, Congress legislator Anup Singh got a zero FIR registered in Ranchi alleging the trio was part of a conspiracy to topple the Jharkhand government in association with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and offered him ₹10 crore for switching sides. The Kolkata police booked the three legislators under relevant sections based on the FIR filed by Singh.
Congress insiders said Alamgir Alam has now recommended action against the three legislators under the anti-defection law. The disciplinary committee of the party had earlier sought clarification from the three legislators, to which they have already responded.
The fresh recommendation for action under anti-defection law is based on a complaint received by three Congress legislators Anup Singh, Shilpi Neha Tirkey and Bhushan Bara who have alleged the three suspended MLAs had approached them with offers to switch sides, a Congress leader said.
Party insiders said the development is aimed at putting an extra check on the legislators in the prevailing political situation in the state.
“The trio is under suspension so they are still covered by the party’s whip. Now they would have an extra axe hanging on their neck,” said a Congress leader requesting anonymity. “In the prevailing political situation in the state, the ruling camp could get into a position to prove majority again. In that context, this step would also give an indirect message to legislators that both the party and the alliance are ready to toughest of decisions.”
With 18 legislators including Pradeep Yadav, who joined Congress after winning 2019 assembly polls on Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) ticket following a split and merger of the latter with the BJP, the Congress is the second major constituent of three-party ruling alliance led by Soren. The other two parties — Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Rashtriya Janata Dal — have 30 and one MLAs, respectively, taking the ruling alliance’s strength to 49, eight more than the halfway mark of 41 in the 81-member House. The opposition BJP has 26 members.
