Jharkhand Assembly speaker to hold disqualification hearings against BJP's Babulal Marandi today

Jharkhand Assembly speaker Rabindranath Mahto is scheduled to hold hearings today and then on Monday in connection with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Legislature Party leader Babulal Marandi after he merged his former party Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) with BJP.

The hearing against Marandi will be held in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with the Anti Defection Law.

The decision of the state Assembly speaker comes after the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued notice to Chief Minister Hemant Soren over "office of profit" allegations against him regarding a mining lease. He has been accused of having awarded himself last year while holding charge of the state mining and environment department.

In February last year, Marandi merged JVM (P) with the BJP. He had earlier suspended two of his other party legislators, who claimed that they represent the "real" JVM (P). They later merged the party with Congress.

( With inputs from ANI )