Uttar Pradesh Speaker to decide on disqualification of Swamy Prasad Maurya

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh State Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey would take a call on disqualifying Bahujan Samaj Party rebel Swamy Prasad Maurya on August 31, an official said on Wednesday.

According to Vidhan Sabha officials, the leader of the opposition, Maurya has now defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party and was given two opportunities to present his case.

However, he failed to turn up before the Speaker on both the occasions, citing various reasons.

Maurya, however, has given a written reply to Pandey on the petition seeking his disqualification as a member of the House.

The BSP has urged the Speaker to take an early decision on the matter so that Maurya could be disqualified at the earliest.

Maurya had quit the BSP in July, accusing the party chief Mayawati of selling party tickets to rich people at a price and not considering loyalty towards the party as a criterion.