Membership of Two Jharkhand MLAs terminated under anti-defection law

Ranchi: In a significant development, the membership of two Jharkhand MLAs -- Jaiprakash Bhai Patel and Lobin Hembrom -- has been terminated due to defection.

The decision was announced on Thursday by Speaker Rabindranath Mahto's Tribunal after hearing complaints under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

The decision will be effective from July 26. Notably, both legislators were affiliated with the ruling coalition.

Jaiprakash Bhai Patel, who represented the Mandu constituency and was originally from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), joined the Congress just before the Lok Sabha elections which he contested from Hazaribag seat on a Congress ticket.

Similarly, Lobin Hembrom of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), representing the Borio constituency, contested against his party’s candidate from the Rajmahal Lok Sabha seat. Both, however, lost the elections.

The BJP filed a complaint against Jaiprakash Bhai Patel, while the JMM lodged a complaint against Lobin Hembrom with the Speaker's Tribunal.

After two days of hearings, the Tribunal reserved its decision, asking for the debate copy to be submitted by noon on July 25.

During the hearing against Patel, BJP advocate Vinod Kumar Sahu argued that his switch to Congress and his candidacy from Hazaribag were documented by the Election Commission.

He said seeking evidence and time for response was an attempt to deliberately waste the Tribunal's time, as the case clearly fell under the 10th Schedule of the Assembly's anti-defection law.

In Hembrom's case, advocate Anuj Kumar argued that it was an internal party issue rather than a defection case.

Representing JMM, advocate Ankitesh Kumar Jha countered that Hembrom contested the Lok Sabha elections defying the party line, warranting the termination of his membership.

IANS