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Hearing on BSP MLAs' case begins

Petitioner objects to `sudden' resumption of hearing as matter is pending in Court

Photo: Subir Roy

MAKING A POINT: Ministers R. S. Rana and V. S. Bundella, after attending hearing in defection case, in Lucknow on Thursday.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey on Thursday resumed hearing on the BSP petition seeking disqualification of 13 of its MLAs who had defected and joined the Samajwadi Party in 2003 even as the petitioner objected to his move saying the matter was already pending before the Allahabad High Court.

Mr. Pandey fixed July 1 for further hearing of the matter after the counsel of BSP Legislature Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya, who had moved the petition in September 2003, sought time to file objections to the `sudden' resumption of hearing.

He said the Speaker's decision to restart hearing was not appropriate as the matter was pending in the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court.

BSP's counsel also pleaded that the then speaker Kesri Nath Tripathi, before whom the petition was filed, had decided to postpone the hearing after a plea was filed in the High Court in this regard.

He sought six weeks' time for filing of objections but the Speaker gave him only that of a week and posted the matter for further hearing on July 1.

Earlier, two of the BSP MLAs who had defected to the SP and are now Ministers, Virendra Singh Bundela and Rajendra Singh Rana, had written to Mr. Pandey asking him to dispose of the petitions filed against them under the Anti-defection Act as it was giving rise to confusion about their status.

Acting on their plea, Mr. Pandey decided to restart hearing on the petition and accordingly sent intimations to the MLAs concerned and Mr. Maurya. -- PTI

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