NEW DELHI: Former Delhi social welfare minister Raaj Kumar Anand has been disqualified from the membership of the assembly, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said on Friday.
Anand had resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the post of minister in the Delhi government on April 10, but not as an MLA. On May 5, he joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and a day later filed his nomination as its candidate from New Delhi Lok Sabha seat. He lost the polls.
“He was given the date of June 10 for replying to the notice served on him under the anti-defection law but he did not reply. In the same notice, he was asked to be present physically on June 11 but he did not appear. He was given another chance to be physically present on June 14 but he did not come. His membership from the Delhi assembly has been terminated,” Speaker Goel said.
Anand was served the notice by the assembly on May 31 under the anti-defection law and asked to file his reply by 5 pm on June 10.
Reacting to the development, Anand told a news agency, “I will seek a legal opinion on the disqualification. We will see the detailed order and then seek legal opinion on it.”
Anand was elected from the Patel Nagar reserved assembly constituency in the 2020 election. He quit the AAP, alleging corruption and neglect of Dalit leaders in the party. He also took a swipe at CM Arvind Kejriwal.