Patna, Dec. 5: The sword of Damocles is hanging on three JDU MLCs with the ruling establishment pursuing its charge of anti-party activities against Narendra Singh, Samrat Choudhary and Sheo Prasanna Yadav.

Legislative Council chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh today deferred the date of hearing against the trio. Sources said he had fixed December 12 and December 9 as the next dates of hearing against Narendra and Samrat, respectively. He is likely to take up the case against Sheo Prasanna shortly.

Mahachandra Singh was first to suffer the axe as Awadhesh - incidentally belonging to the BJP who was nominated as the Upper House's chairman during the NDA rule - disqualified him from the membership early this week, responding the JDU's petition against him in early November. Mahachandra had contested the Hathua Assembly seat on the HAMS symbol while staying the JDU MLC.

The JDU leadership lodged similar petitions against Narendra, Samrat and Sheo Prasanna. Narendra, while staying as the JDU MLC, had joined hands with HAMS, campaigning for the NDA nominees. His two sons, Sumit Singh and Ajay Pratap Singh, had contested the Jamui and Chakai seats as the BJP and Independent nominees, respectively, against the official Grand Alliance nominees.

Similarly, Samrat had openly campaigned for his father, Shakuni Choudhary, who was the state HAMS chief and contested the Parbatta seat against the official Grand Alliance nominees.

Sheo Prasanna Yadav's son, Shailendra Yadav, had contested as an Independent against the official JDU nominee, Kavita Singh, in Daraunda and Sheo Prasanna had allegedly backed his son against Kavita.

Sources in the Council secretariat revealed that it was hard for these embattled JDU rebels to save their position as the JDU leadership had accumulated "adequate evidence" of anti-party activities against them. "The formality of their disqualification from the House can be completed in December," a Council secretariat official said.

The axed MLCs are not likely to have any respite in the New Year too with the NDA reduced to 57 MLAs (BJP's 53 and four of other allies) against 178 of the Grand Alliance. With relatively high number of MLAs as its disposal, the Grand Alliance might fill the seats in the event of being vacated by the rebels with the JDU, RJD and Congress nominees.