Bina MLA says, ‘I am still in Congress’:HC asks for BJP joining proof; Singhar to submit party whip copies

A hearing was held in the High Court on Tuesday on a petition filed against MLA Nirmala Sapre from the Bina seat of Sagar district. During this, Sapre said that I am still in Congress. The court has recorded this statement. The petitioner, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, has also been asked to present evidence of Sapre joining the BJP. In response, Singhar has replied that he will submit copies of the party whip by April 9. The next hearing of the case will be on April 20. A hearing is also scheduled before the Assembly Speaker on the same day. Actually, in 2023, Nirmala Sapre won the assembly election from the Bina seat on a Congress ticket. On May 5, 2024, during the Lok Sabha election campaign, she participated in the BJP’s program with CM Mohan Yadav. After this, claims were made about her joining the BJP. On July 5, 2024, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar filed a petition before the Speaker to terminate Sapre’s assembly membership. It stated that under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, a legislator’s membership automatically terminates upon changing parties. When no decision was taken on this, Singhar filed a petition in the High Court in November 2024. Evidence of Sapre joining BJP on social media On Tuesday, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf conducted the hearing. In this, Nirmala Sapre’s lawyer Sanjay Agarwal claimed that she is still in Congress. He said that in such a situation, the question of terminating Sapre’s assembly membership does not arise. Meanwhile, Advocate General Prashant Singh informed the court on behalf of the government that the hearing of the case is ongoing before the Speaker. Her statements have also been recorded. After this, Umang Singhar’s advocate Vibhor Khandelwal said through video conferencing that they will submit copies of the party whip by April 9. Evidence of Sapre joining the BJP is present on social media. Many of her pictures and posts with CM Mohan Yadav are also viral. Situation cannot be determined based on social media On the argument given by Singhar, the court said that a person’s position cannot be determined based on posts made on social media. The petitioner should present solid and authentic evidence before the Speaker that proves Nirmala Sapre has actually defected.