Dinhata (West Bengal) [India], September 14 (ANI): Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia on Monday said his faction has a two-thirds majority of the party's MPs and claimed that provisions of the anti-defection law would not apply to them amid disqualification pleas issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Speaking on the letters issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat over the disqualification pleas, Basunia told ANI that all MPs have received the communication and a reply would be submitted by September 22.
"Letters have been sent to all the MPs. We will reply to the letter by the 22nd, as we have been granted time until then. We also needed to engage a lawyer, and we have done so. The lawyer will represent us in the Supreme Court," he said.
Expressing confidence over the outcome, Basunia said, "As for the verdict, it will be in our favour."
He further said that under the anti-defection law, a faction having a two-thirds majority of a party's MPs is considered the legitimate party.
"Under the anti-defection law, the faction holding a two-thirds majority of the party’s MPs is considered the legitimate party. We currently have that two-thirds majority, so the anti-defection law will not apply to us," Basunia added.
The statement comes after the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued letters in connection with petitions seeking disqualification of MPs under the anti-defection law.
Earlier, on August 26, in connection with Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee's petition in the Supreme Court against rebel MPs seeking their disqualifications, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued notices to the 20 MPs, seeking their response within seven days.
The TMC has accused the 20 MPs of abandoning the party and subsequently joining the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). Banerjee has contended that their conduct attracts disqualification under the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution.
The petition has arrayed the Lok Sabha Speaker and the House Secretary General as the principal respondents in the petition, while also impleading the 20 MPs whose disqualification is being sought.
The respondents include Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Satabdi Roy, Prasun Banerjee, Rachana Banerjee, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, Partha Bhowmick, Arup Chakraborty, Adhikari Deepak Dev, Sayani Ghosh, Bapi Haldar, Md Abu Taher Khan, Kalipada Saren Kherwal, Asit Kumar Mal, June Maliah, Mitali Bag, Khalilur Rahaman, Mala Roy, Sharmila Sarkar and Yusuf Pathan. (ANI)
"Anti-defection law will not apply to us": NCPI MP Jagadish Barma Basunia claims two-thirds majority
