Debar 6 BSP MLAs who joined Cong from voting: Party to CEC

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Jaipur, June 18 (IANS) Amid the camping of Congress, BJP and other MLAs in plush resorts in view of poaching threats from either sides ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls on Friday, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra has written to Chief Election Commissioner demanding that the six ex-BSP MLAs who joined Congress a few months ago should not be allowed to vote as Congress MLAs.

Also, the Rajasthan BSP president Bhagwan Singh, with other members, confirmed to IANS that he will personally handover a letter to the returning officer on Thursday requesting him to allow a BSP whip to monitor the election proceedings for Rajya Sabha polls.

Six BSP MLAs in Rajasthan had joined the Congress a few months ago, giving a jolt to the party supremo Mayawati.

In his letter, Mishra said, "Six MLAs were elected on party symbols given by BSP and after their victory, their names were duly notified in Election Commission's gazette notification, which is in force till date without any change. Even in Rajasthan Assembly gazette notification, they are notified as BSP MLAs. However, Rajasthan Speaker changed their nomenclature in his records without bringing it to anyone's notice."

There has been neither a merger of the BSP with the Congress at the national level nor at the state level which is a mandatory condition under 10th schedule of Constitution of India, Mishra said further.

"In view of the above circumstances, the six elected MLAs of BSP from Rajasthan cannot be and should not be permitted to participate in the voting as members of Congress party and they are bound to follow the whip of the BSP," Mishra said in his letter.

"You are therefore humbly requested to issue appropriate direction to the returning officer at Jaipur and all other concerning officers to ensure that these 6 BSP MLAs are not permitted to participate in voting as Congress MLAs and instead arrangement of voting should be made by treating them as BSP MLAs only who are bound by whip issued by the party alone," Mishra added.

Meanwhile, Bhagwan Singh told IANS that his party wants to clarify that neither national merger of the BSP with Congress has taken place nor merger in state. Now if BSP MLAs say that thay have merged with the Congress, then their statement should not be trusted.

"Today we are going to the returning officer to give our statement in writing and requesting them that the BSP should be given permission to issue whip to monitor the voting being made by its MLAs," he added.

--IANS

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