GUWAHATI, March 27 � The after-shock of the yesterday election to the two Rajya Sabha (RS) seats of the State may result in a political tumult with the Opposition camp preparing for a legal battle, including an election case.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will move the Speaker of the State Assembly to disqualify its four deserter MLAs on Monday. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is also submitting a formal request on Monday to the Speaker to disqualify its two deserter MLAs. In case, the Speaker pays no heed to these requests, the parties said that they would go for �other options� to get justice.
The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is also planning actions in the same line against its deserter MLA Abdul Aziz.
The BJP yesterday drew the attention of the Speaker to the issue of violating party directive by its MLAs Abhijit Hazarika, Rumi Nath, Kartik Sena Sinha and Sambhu Singh Mallah. The party also made an appeal to the Returning Officer of the RS election to declare the votes of these MLAs null and void.
But, said BJP Legislature Party (BJPLP) leader Mission Ranjan Das, the Returning Officer paid no heed to the party appeal. These MLAs with their action of going against the party decision became ineligible to remain members of the State Assembly, Das claimed.
He denied any BJP member issuing any threat to these legislators, when pointed to the allegation of some Ministers that these legislators were under threat, necessitating their shifting to a city hotel and then to be escorted by two Ministers to the voting centre.
AIUDF working president HRA Choudhury asserted that a party whip is binding on the MLAs belonging to a political party. If the inferences drawn from the activities of some members of a political party prove their giving up the original political party, then they invite disqualification as members of a legislature.
In the present case, AIUDF MLAs Anowarul Haque and Rashul Haque invited such disqualification. In case the Speaker refuses to disqualify them or does not take any action on the AIUDF appeal, the party will move the High Court, said Choudhury.
There was a flagrant violation of the election codes yesterday during the RS election. The AIUDF is thinking in the line of taking appropriate steps like approaching the Election Commission with a complaint of violation of the election code by the Congress yesterday, and the court if the situation so demands, he said.
AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary said that his party would take up the issue of its deserter MLA Abdul Aziz with the Speaker after completing the party�s constitutional provisions. Aziz has gone against the party decision and whip to support Opposition candidate Jayanta Baruah. The AGP is also having discussion on the prospect of an election case, said Patowary.
Meanwhile, workers and supporters of the BJP and the AIUDF have started protest agitations against their deserter MLAs in various parts of the State and at places effigies of these MLAs have also been burnt by the workers of the two parties.
