House is dark on MLA expulsion

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 1. Though it has been almost a fortnight since Mr. Jagdish Anand, MLA, was expelled the Delhi Vidhan Sabha is still to get an intimation from the Congress Legislature Party leader, Ms. Sheila Dixit, about his expulsion. The Assembly maintains that he continues to be a Congress(I) MLA.

Mr. Anand's expulsion would mean that he would have to be allotted a separate seat away from the treasurey benches, in the coming Budget session. But the exercise to allot a new seat has not been undertaken as the Assembly has not received any intimation from the party or the CLP.

Sources in the Vidhan Sabha said neither the Speaker, Chaudhary Prem Singh, nor the Secretary Vidhan Sabha have got any information. In the Assembly records, he continues to be a Congress(I) MLA.

Surprisingly, while the party had lost no time in taking action, it has refrained from carrying out the official obligation of communicating to the Speaker about the expulsion. ``It is important that the CLP leader should have informed the Speaker. This would enable the Assembly Secretariat to allot him a separate seat. But this has not been done which smacks of callousness and indifference,'' he added.

During the recent function held in the Assembly on January 24 to honour freedom fighters and veteran Parliamentarians, Mr. Anand sat in his old seat along with his Congress(I) colleagues. A number of party MLAs were seen mingling with him and nobody took objection to Mr. Anand sitting in the treasurey benches.

Assembly sources said as and when the intimation is received by the Secretariat, necessary action would be taken to allot a separate seat to Mr.Anand. The strength of the Congress(I), which had 53 members in the 70-member House, stands reduced to 52 with the expulsion.

Mr. Anand was expelled by the DPCC(I) president, Mr. Subhash Chopra, on January 21 for reasons still unknown. While it is rumoured that he was expelled for not attending the Special Session convened on December 12, thereby violating the party whip, it is believed that Mr. Anand faced action after he filed an affidavit against the Chief Minister in the Lokayukta. The affidavit alleged that she and her close aides, including Ms. Dixit's sister, were involved in allotment of contract by the Delhi Jal Board for laying of sewer pipes on the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg. The case is being heard on-regular basis by the Lokayukta.

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