RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Sept.9: Kanke MLA Samri Lal, whom the Election Commission of India (EC)) had asked to file a reply in a case challenging his Scheduled Caste (SC) status in Jharkhand and thus candidature in the assembly constituency reserved for SC, appeared confident to face the commission on the issue and give a proper reply within the given deadline of September 21.
“I am a born Jharkhandi and one cannot challenge my SC status. My grandfather migrated from Rajasthan before Independence and I have every right to claim SC status. My father has worked at RIMS. I will give a proper reply within the given deadline and am not at all worried about taking the notice,” Lal said when contacted for his comment over phone.
Lal said it was not for the first time that he had contested election as a SC candidate from Kanke reserve seat. “I contested election as an independent candidate in 1985 and then as a Janta Dal candidate in 1990, 1995 and 2000. Even the JMM, which has always fought for the cause of Jharkhand and Jharkhandis, had allowed me to contest elections as a party candidate in 2005 and 2009. How can I become non-Jharkhandi all of a sudden when I won election as a BJP candidate in 2019,” Lal asked.
Probed further, Lal said: “It will not be proper to share everything before filing a proper reply to the ECI.”
Congress party candidate from Kanke, Suresh Baitha, whom Lal defeated in the last assembly election, filed the complaint on April 6 this year before the assembly speaker saying Lal does not deserve SC status in Jharkhand as he has migrated from Rajasthan and thus be disqualified from the house. After the speaker received the complaint he forwarded the same to Governor Ramesh Bias, who forwarded it to ECI for its opinion in the matter in June this year.
After the action from ECI was delayed, Baitha approached the ECI for quick action.
On September 5, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, seeking a vote of confidence, expressed his concern over the delay on the part of the ECI in taking action in the matter of Lal.
