New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday put on hold the declaration of the Bihar Legislative Council by-election result for the seat previously held by expelled RJD leader Sunil Kumar Singh.
The matter came up before a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Singh, submitted that the by-election result was likely to be announced on January 16 for the seat as the election was unopposed.
The bench said no results for the seat should be declared, as it is already hearing the arguments on the matter. “Meanwhile, the result of the bye-election in the state legislative council in respect of vacancy by removal of petitioner shall not be declared," said the bench, listing the matter for further hearing on Thursday.
During the hearing today, Singhvi argued that the allegation in the case is in connection with the use of a derogatory word for Nitish Kumar, which was also used by Singh's colleague, however only his client was permanently expelled while the other person was only temporarily suspended for only two days.
In addition to Singh’s expulsion, another RJD MLC, Mohd Qari Sohaib, who also engaged in disruptive behaviour on the same day, was suspended for two days. Singhvi stressed that it would be the end of democracy if remarks made by his client resulted in permanent expulsion.
Singhvi contended that the court had heard his plea against the expulsion since August 2024, and if tomorrow the court allowed the petition, it would be a peculiar situation with there being two candidates for a single seat.
The top court said it would hear the response of the state legislative council the ethics committee and others, on Thursday after which it would reserve its judgment on the matter. On July 26, last year, Singh was expelled from the Bihar Legislative Council for unruly behaviour in the House.
Singh, considered close to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, was charged for sloganeering against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on February 13, 2024, during a heated exchange in the House. The motion for Singh’s expulsion was passed by voice vote, a day after the ethics committee submitted its report to acting chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh. The ethics committee report said while Sohaib expressed regret for his actions during the inquiry, Singh remained defiant.
