Varanasi resident moves UP assembly to unseat Mukhtar Ansari on absenteeism

A Varanasi resident Sudhir Singh has made the plea to unseat Ansari under the provisions of the Article 190 (4) of the Constitution. The petitioner said Mukhtar Ansari has neither attended nor participated in the sittings of the House, held from time to time since the present Assembly started its sittings in 2017.

Lucknow: A plea has been made to Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit to disqualify jailed BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari as a lawmaker on grounds of his being absent from the House proceedings without its permission since its constitution in 2017.

A Varanasi resident Sudhir Singh has made the plea to unseat Ansari under the provisions of the Article 190 (4) of the Constitution.

Singh has made the plea through his counsel Asok Pande.

Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who is an MLA from Mau Sadar, is presently lodged in a Punjab jail.

Identifying himself as the president of Mafia Virodhi Manch, Singh, in his petition to the Assembly Speaker, cited Article 190 (4) of the Constitution which provides that if a member of any House of a state legislature fails to attend the House proceedings for 60 days without its permission, the House may declare his seat vacant.

The petitioner said Mukhtar Ansari has neither attended nor participated in the sittings of the House, held from time to time since the present Assembly started its sittings in 2017."

He has not even sought any permission to be absent from the House for such a long period, the petitioner said.

Singh said he is accordingly approaching the UP Assembly speaker to seek Ansari's disqualification from being the member of the House as per the provisions of the Article 190 (4) of the Constitution.

The petitioner also claimed that he is willing to contest the election from Mau Sadar assembly seat after it is declared vacant and fresh election is notified by the Election Commission.

PTI