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Speaker urged to disqualify 9 Cong defectors

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 1 - Chief Whip of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in the State Assembly, Nilamani Sen Deka today submitted a petition to the Speaker of the State Assembly, Pranab Gogoi, urging for disqualification of the nine former Congress legislators, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Deka told this newspaper today evening that by joining the BJP, the nine legislators � Abu Taher Bepari, Jayanta Malla Barua, Binanda Saikia, Rajen Barthakur, Pallab Lochan Das, Pradan Barua, Piyus Hazarika, Bolin Chetia and Kripanath Mallah � have attracted provision 2 (a) of the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

They have attracted the provisions of the Anti-defection Law as the 10th schedule of the Indian Constitution is popularly known. Because, they were elected on Congress tickets; but now they have �voluntarily given up their membership of the party� and joined the BJP on November 6 last.

Following their joining the BJP, the Congress also expelled them on November 11. Therefore, the plea for disqualifying these legislators under the provision of the Anti-defection Law has been made before the Speaker today, said Deka.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also wrote to the Speaker yesterday, as the leader of the CLP, formally intimating the Chair that the above legislators have ceased to be members of the Congress and attracted provisions of the Anti-defection Law, Deka apprised.

It is expected that the Speaker would soon arrive at a decision on the matter in accordance with the legal provisions, he said.

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