Disqualification plea against SP MLAs: Speaker reserves orders

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey on Saturday reserved his order on the disqualification petition against four of the five SP MLAs who had voted for BSP candidates in the recent Rajya Sabha biennial polls.

The disqualification petition against another party MLA, Kamalesh Pathak, was posted for hearing on August 18. The counsel for the four MLAs concluded his arguments today after questioning the validity of the petition filed by SP state general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav.

The counsel submitted the allegations against the legislators were ‘‘vague’’ and that no evidence had been filed by Yadav in support of his contentions. He also cited a recent Orissa High Court ruling which stated that no whip could be issued in Rajya Sabha elections as it was a matter outside the House.