RJD seeks disqualification of 2 Bihar MLCs after they announce support for BJP
Manoj Jha cites anti-defection provisions of Constitution and says party will approach the legislative council chairman, Election Commission and courts if necessary
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Sunday said it would seek the disqualification of two Independent candidates elected to the Bihar Legislative Council after they announced their association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the party of “mandate theft”.
RJD MP Manoj Jha said party leaders would meet the legislative council chairman to demand the disqualification of Banshidhar Brajwasi and Rahul Raj. He added that the party would approach the courts if necessary.
The two Independents announced on Saturday that they had joined the BJP, days after winning their respective seats. Brajwasi retained the Tirhut Graduates’ constituency, while Raj won the Saran Teachers’ constituency, defeating Jan Suraaj-backed MLC Afaq Ahmed.
The announcements were made at the BJP office in Patna, where the two expressed confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. Brajwasi, however, later released a video denying that he had formally joined the party, saying he had only extended his support.
Addressing a press conference at the RJD headquarters, Jha cited Paragraph 2(2) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for the disqualification of an Independent legislator who joins a political party after being elected.
He also invoked Article 191(2), arguing that the two candidates were no longer eligible to take charge as members of the legislative council.
“We had heard of vote theft. This is mandate theft. I would not even call it theft. It is robbery,” Jha said.
He alleged that the BJP had facilitated the two candidates’ move to weaken its ally, the Janata Dal (United), and claimed that the party was more concerned about restricting the JD(U) than countering the opposition.
Jha rejected the claim that the candidates had merely extended support to the BJP. He showed a video clip of the two holding what he described as a joining slip, arguing that it demonstrated their formal induction into the party.
He urged the legislative council chairman to act impartially and warned that the RJD would pursue legal proceedings and public protests if the two were not disqualified.