Jammu, May 23: As a counter offensive against the party dissidents, who have indicated a split in the party, Bhartiya Janta Party today issued notices to its seven tainted’ Members Legislative Assembly (MLAs) asking them to explain why they should not be expelled form the party.

 Insiders said the notices have been served upon the MLAs, suspended for allegedly cross voting in MLC elections, as they declined to appear before the Central Disciplinary Action Committee, constituted by the party to look into the allegations.

 “Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) legislator Party Jugal Kishore Sharma on Monday issued notice to seven party legislators,” said the BJP State Chief Spokesperson and National Executive Member Dr Jitendra Singh. 

 Dr Singh said that as per para 2(1) (b) of the 7th Schedule of J&K Constitution, the BJP chief whip in the House Ashok Khajuria filed a petition for disqualification of legislators to the acting leader of House Jugal Kishore Sharma who under the JK Constitution, in his capacity as leader of BJP Legislators Party, holds the authority to disqualify the MLAs for violation of party whip.

 He further said that the seven MLAs against whom the notice of disqualification has been issued include Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Bharat Bhushan, Prof Gharu Ram Bhagat, Baldev Sharma, Master Lal Chand, Jagdish Raj Sapolia and Durga Dass. The objections, if any, to notice can be filed within one week.

 Dr Singh disclosed that in his communication as Chief Whip, Ashok Khajuria had written to the acting leader of the Legislator Group that he had issued a whip to all the members of BJP asking them to vote in favour of the party candidate Ranjit Singh.

  Khajuria, in his letter, claimed that from the result of the election, it is clear that the seven MLAs of BJP did not follow party whip issued by him and indulged in cross voting.

 “After narrating in writing the entire sequence of facts and circumstances related to the issue, Khajuria moved a petition before the acting leader that all the seven MLAs had incurred disqualification under para 2 (b) of 7th Schedule of J&K Constitution and may therefore be declared disqualified from being the members of State Assembly,” the party spokesman said.

 He mentioned that every aspect related to the issue of cross voting is being dealt by the party High Command depending on the inputs received by it and in keeping with the constitutional procedures.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
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