Membership of JMM MLA Lobin Hembram and BJP MLA JP Patel terminated in defection case

Ranchi. JP Patel and Lobin Hembram have lost their membership in the defection case. On Thursday, the Speaker, while giving his decision under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, dismissed the membership of both the MLAs. JP Patel became MLA from Mandu on a BJP ticket, but contested the Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Hazaribagh on a Congress ticket. At the same time, Lobin Hembram became MLA from Borio on a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha ticket and contested the Lok Sabha elections as an independent from Rajmahal. Both also lost the elections.

Let us tell you that on Wednesday, the Speaker Tribunal completed the hearing in the case and reserved the decision. On Wednesday, the hearing was held in the tribunal for the second consecutive day, in which arguments were made by both the sides. After this, the tribunal ordered to submit the copy of the written arguments by 12 noon on July 25 and said that the hearing was over. Earlier, the hearing was held in the case of JP Patel.

Advocate Vinod Kumar Sahu, appearing for BJP, rejected the argument of the respondent before the court. In this sequence, he said that the way JP Patel contested the Lok Sabha elections from Hazaribagh constituency by joining Congress is public and is in the records of the Election Commission. In such a situation, asking for evidence and then asking for time from the tribunal to file a reply is like deliberately wasting the time of the court. This case completely falls under the purview of defection under the 10th Schedule of the Assembly.

The Speaker’s tribunal had reserved its decision after completing the hearing on the allegations of defection against Lobin Hembram. During the hearing in the Speaker’s tribunal, advocate Anuj Kumar, on behalf of Lobin Hembram, had said that the manner in which the allegations have been made is against the constitution of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. Citing Section 19(7) of the party constitution, he had said that the expulsion done by the president must be approved in the party meeting within 4 months. This is not a matter of defection but an internal matter of the party.

While arguing on behalf of JMM, advocate Ankitesh Kumar Jha had said that the party had sent a notice to Lobin Hembram asking for a reply, but he did not respond. He had contested the Lok Sabha elections by deviating from the party line, so Lobin Hembram’s membership should be terminated. After hearing both the parties, the tribunal had reserved the decision on Wednesday.

Tags: Jharkhand BJP, Jharkhand Politics