Patna: Mokama JD(U) MLA Anant Singh has sought an extension to reply to the notice seeking his disqualification from the assembly, citing his daughter’s wedding on Nov 25.




On Nov 2, assembly secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, with the permission of Speaker Prem Kumar , served Anant a notice asking why he should not be disqualified from the House. The notice followed a petition by JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha and the party’s chief whip in the legislative council, Sanjay Gandhi .




The assembly had given Anant a week to respond with the deadline expiring on Nov 9. He has now sought time to submit his reply after his daughter’s wedding.




Anant and his wife, former MLA Neelam Devi, were expelled from the JD(U) for six years a day after the Oct 23 legislative council election. The party accused them of anti-party activities after Anant announced support for Jan Suraj candidate Anuj Singh in the Patna graduate constituency election , against the JD(U)’s official nominee Neeraj Kumar. Neeraj won the seat for a fourth time.




Soon after the expulsion, Kushwaha and Gandhi petitioned Speaker Prem Kumar to disqualify Anant on two grounds. They alleged he had worked against the party during the campaign and violated constitutional provisions and the 10th Schedule of the anti-defection law by opposing Neeraj.