Rajya Sabha Chairman Resolves NCP Defection Petitions

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar dismissed petitions regarding the disqualification of three MPs from NCP and NCP-SP after both parties requested no further action. The petitions, tied to defection provisions under the Constitution, were resolved following appeals from party leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel.

In a significant development, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has dismissed petitions that sought the disqualification of three Members of Parliament from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and NCP-Shiv Sena Party (NCP-SP). This decision comes after both parties emphatically requested no further action in this matter.

The petitions, submitted under the Members of Rajya Sabha (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1985, focused on three MPs. Notably, a petition was submitted on November 20, 2023, by Praful Patel against MPs Vandana Chavan and Fauzia Khan. A subsequent petition followed on November 21, submitted by Chavan against Patel, all falling under the defection clause of the Constitution's Tenth Schedule.

Chairman Dhankhar informed the Rajya Sabha of receiving communications from party leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, which urged for no further proceedings. Having examined the submissions diligently, he resolved to finally dispose of the petitions, effectively bringing the matter to a close.

(With inputs from agencies.)