Disqualification case: HC to hear Sharad's plea on Thursday

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it would hear on December 14 the plea of former Janata Dal-United President Sharad Yadav challenging his disqualification from the Rajya Sabha.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru posted the matter for Thursday as senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Yadav, urged the court to hear it urgently as the parliament session would start soon.

Challenging his disqualification from the Rajya Sabha, Yadav said he was not given any chance to defend his case by the authorities before passing the order against him.

On December 4, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who is also Rajya Sabha Chairman, disqualified rebel JD-U leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar as members of the Upper House of Parliament.

The JD-U had sought their disqualification on the grounds that they had attended a rally of opposition parties in Patna in violation of its direction.

Naidu had agreed with the JD-U's contention that the two senior leaders had "voluntarily given up" their membership by defying their party's directives.

Yadav and Ansari and a section of the JD-U fell out with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the latter broke away from the "Mahagathbandhan" (Grand Alliance) with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress to re-align with the Bharatiya Janata Party earlier in 2017.

Yadav was elected to the House in 2016 and his term was scheduled to end in 2022 and Anwar's term was to expire in 2018.

In November, the Election Commission ruled that the Nitish Kumar-led faction was the real JD-U and also allowed it to use the "arrow" symbol.