Rajasthan: Congress demands disqualification of Independent MLA after he joins BJP

Jaipur: Opposition Congress leader Tika Ram Jully has written to Rajasthan Assembly Speaker demanding the disqualification and termination of the membership of Bhilwara’s Independent MLA, Ashok Kothari, as he is supposed to have joined BJP during the party’s ongoing membership drive.

Jully in a letter, which he shared on his X handle has asked for action against Kothari under the Anti-Defection law, which deals with defections by members of political parties, Independent members and nominated members in Parliament and state legislatures.

A member can be disqualified if he or she voluntarily gives up the membership of a political party or joins any other political party after the election. In such cases, the chairman or the Speaker of the House have absolute power in deciding the cases.

Kothari is said to have taken the membership of BJP on September 4 during the party’s ongoing membership drive and has shared it on social media, giving his membership number ending with 5826. Jully has written that since Kothari has himself shared his joining the BJP on social media, no further proof is required to disqualify him under the anti-defection law, which falls under the X Schedule of the Constitution.

Kothari, on the other hand, has said he has taken up the membership of BJP to strengthen the nation and protect sanatan dharma but that he doesn’t understand the technicalities involved in the process and how it would affect his Assembly membership.

Kothari, 62, deals in property and garments and is active in various social organisations, including a gaushala in Bhilwara. In the 2023 elections, he defeated his nearest rival from Congress Om Narayaniwal by a margin of 10,778 votes and got a vote share of 36.68 per cent.

In an Assembly of 200 seats, BJP has 115 MLAs and Congress has 69, Bharat Adivasi Party has 3, BSP has 2, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal one each along with eight Independent MLAs.