Jharkhand high court junks Babulal Marandi's plea on anti-defection case

RANCHI: The Jharkhand high court on Tuesday dismissed the petition filed by former chief minister Babulal Marandi seeking action on an anti-defection case filed by him and pending before the assembly speaker's tribunal. Marandi has alleged partiality by the speaker in his petition.
The court of Justice Rajesh Shankar while pronouncing the order observed that the office of the speaker is an independent authority and beyond the scope of judicial pronouncements at this stage and refused to intervene and interfere with the proceedings and dismissed the petition.
The case for defection was filed by Congress MLA Deepika Pandey against Marandi for having joined BJP. Marandi, on the other hand, mentioned in his petition that he has not been given a fair chance to defend his case.
Marandi said his case is not a defection as his earlier party, JVM-P, has merged with BJP.