LS SECRETARIAT ISSUES NOTICE TO THREE MPS UNDER DEFECTION LAW

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha secretariat on Thursday evening issued notices to two Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs and a YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP under the anti-defection law after their respective parties sought their removal from the House, people familiar with the matter said. Sisir Adhikari, senior TMC MP and father of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, and Sunil Kumar Mondal, Trinamool’s two-term MP, have been served notice months after the party filed a complaint under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution for anti-party activities.

K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, who has taken on Andhra Pradesh chief minister and party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, has also been issued notice.

According to the Lok Sabha secretariat, the three MPs have been told to send their reply within 15 days of receiving the notice.

People familiar with the matter said while TMC leaders filed for disqualification of the two MPs a few months ago but now, ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, the process of evaluating the alleged anti-defection cases have started.

Sudip Bandyopadhyay, leader of the TMC in Lok Sabha, sought Sunil Kumar Mondal’s disqualification, on January 4 this year. The request to remove Sisir Adhikari was sent on May 17, a fortnight after his eldest son Suvendu defeated chief minister Mamata Banerjee from the Nandigram seat by 1,958 votes.

Sunil Mondal, TMC Lok Sabha member from East Burdwan seat, joined the BJP in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah in December last year.

Sisir Adhikari, the MP from Contai in East Midnapore district, did not formally pick up the BJP flag but shared the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the election campaign.