OoP: Jharkhand MLAs bank on EC breather

Returning of the office-of-profit Bill by President Kalam to Parliament or by the Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi to the state Assembly might not cause major damage to the 40 MPs and the 19 Jharkhand MLAs.

Returning of the office-of-profit Bill by President Kalam to Parliament or by the Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi to the state Assembly might not cause major damage to the 40 MPs and the 19 Jharkhand MLAs. The Election Commission has given those under the scanner enough time to come with an explanation.

While the 19 Jharkhand MLAs, including Chief Minister Arjun Munda, has been given six weeks time on May 19 and May 23 to reply to their notices, the Election Commission may not go any further with Mukul Roy’s petition as he has not been able to provide the dates required to proceed on the petitions against the 10 CPI(M) MPs, including that of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

Though the disqualification of the Jharkhand MLAs could lead to the fall of the BJP-led government in the state along with costing Arjun Munda his chief ministerial chair, nothing so dramatic is likely to happen.

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Governor Razi’s may have returned the Bill, but once re-legislated he would have to give his assent to the Bill. The MLAs will have ample time to bail themselves out as the Election Commission’s procedure for determining whether an MP or an MLA deserves disqualification takes as long as six to eight months.

‘‘We cannot possibly give an opinion to President of India suggesting disqualification or otherwise without going through extensive hearing. The MPs/MLAs are given full chance to clarify their position and defend their positions,’’ EC officials said.

However, sources said, Trinamool Congress general secretary Mukul Roy has not been able to provide ‘‘adequate’’ information to the Commission. The EC needs to determine the date on which the said MPs assumed the alleged offices-of-profit to not only determine if they deserve to be disqualified but also to determine if the case fell under the purview of the President or the Election Commission.

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