RS chairman likely to take up Sharad Yadav’s disqualification issue on October 30

The continued suspense on the disqualification of rebel Janata Dal (United) leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar Ansari from the Rajya Sabha under the anti-defection law is likely to be over on October 30 when the two leaders have been asked to appear before the chairman of parliament’s Upper House.

Taking cognizance of the petition submitted by RCP Singh, who replaced Yadav as the party leader in the Upper House, the Rajya Sabha (RS) secretariat has issued show cause notices to them for representing their case before the chairman.

Singh had urged RS chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to disqualify the two leaders for allegedly “indulging in anti-party activities and voluntarily quitting the party”. The two leaders had questioned JD(U)’s decision to sever ties with Grand Alliance in Bihar and re-join the BJP to form a new government in July, terming the development as a move defying people’s mandate.

While Ansari is set to retire in April next year, Yadav’s term, unless cut short, will end in 2022.

The JD(U) faction, led by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, though offended by Yadav’s stance, had restrained itself from taking a direct action (expulsion from the party), keeping his contribution and seniority in mind.

Party general secretary KC Tyagi had, however, asked him not to cross the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ by attending RJD chief Lalu Prasad-convened ‘Desh Bachao, BJP Bhagao,’ rally on August 27. Yadav chose not to heed to the ‘warning’ on the plea that his faction represented the real JD (U) and the GA was intact in the state.

While an overwhelming majority of party legislators and MPs have backed Kumar for breaking ranks with the RJD after CBI registered a case in land-for-hotels scam against Prasad and his family members, Yadav has held a ‘national executive meeting’ in New Delhi and taken his fight to the Election Commission’s court.

The notice, issued by RS additional secretary Mukul Pandey, read “in connection with the petition filed by RCP Singh….the Chairman has decided... to afford you an opportunity to represent your case and to hear you in person before taking a decision in the matter.”

The RS chairman, it is learnt, has decided to dispose the case himself instead of referring the matter to the privileges committee for a preliminary examination..