Date:04/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/04/stories/2009070455010500.htm

Other States - Rajasthan

Kirorilal Meena’s membership of Lok Sabha under threat

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: A piquant situation has arisen over the status of the maverick politician Kirorilal Meena, who won the recent Lok Sabha election from Dausa as an Independent, as the Rajasthan Assembly Speaker is yet to accept his resignation as MLA. Dr. Meena’s membership of the Lok Sabha is under threat as the rules require his resignation from the State Assembly within 14 days of the Lok Sabha election results.

Dr. Meena, a former BJP Minister, had defied his new ally, the Congress, to fight the Lok Sabha election from Dausa even when his wife Golma Devi is a Minister in the Congress Government here led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Dr. Meena, who announced support to the United Progressive Government at the Centre soon after winning the Lok Sabha election, now insists that he had submitted his resignation as MLA on May 29, while Speaker Deependra Singh Shekhawat holds the resignation invalid as it was not submitted by the member in person.

“A day prior to my sending the resignation to the Speaker through my assistant I had visited the Speaker’s office to hand it over in person. I could not do it as Mr. Shekhawat was not in his office that day. Later I could not meet him as I had to go to Delhi,” says Dr. Meena explaining his position.

Now it appears to be a cat-and-mouse game between the Speaker and Dr. Meena as the latter met him on several occasions to press for acceptance of his resignation from the Assembly. Mr. Shekhawat, however, maintains that he is willing to accept a fresh resignation letter from Dr. Meena if he is keen to do so. This surely would be a risky proposition for the Meena leader. Enquiries with the Lok Sabha Secretariat in New Delhi on the eve of the current session of Parliament revealed that Dr. Meena continued to be a member of the House though the dual membership issue had been referred by it to Rajasthan Assembly.

A clear picture on the issue may emerge soon after the Rajasthan Assembly session begins on July 7.