BHOPAL: A delegation of BJP on Wednesday reached Rajbhawan once again to Governor Lalji Tandon demanding reinstatement of membership of former MLA Prahlad Lodhi. The leaders in the delegation registered their protest over disqualification of Lodhi from the Assembly by speaker NP Prajapati.
Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP state president Rakesh Singh, Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava, former minister Narottam Mishra along with Lodhi discussed with the Governor on the issue of reinstating of membership. These leaders in the memorandum given to Governor have mentioned that the assembly speaker does not have power to cancel the membership. They urged the Governor to stop the Speaker to take decision which was not in his jurisdiction.
Chouhan said a government, which is fearful, is trying to hatch a conspiracy to save it. He said that the Speaker has become partial and his decision is not according to the law. Lodhi is a member of state assembly and we would take him to the state assembly in the next session.
Leader of opposition (LoP) said only the Governor has the power to cancel the membership of an MLA as per article 191 and 192 of the Indian Constitution. Bhargava said when Lodhi was sentenced by a lower court his memberhship was cancelled in just two day but when the High Court stayed his conviction and jail term, the Speaker is yet to take any decision. The LoP said it is contempt of court.
Singh said the Speaker could not make announcement of vacant seat and he is encroaching the rights of the Governor. He has urged the Governor to intervene in this case.
