(MENAFN- IANS) Jabalpur/Bhopal, Dec 4 (IANS) The MP-MLA court in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district has issued notices to three sitting Congress MLAs, including the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly, Umang Singhar, and senior leader Ajay Singh and Lakhan Ghanghoria.

The notices against Congress leaders have been issued to seek reply in a defamation case which was filed against them.

All these three Congress leaders have been asked to appear in the court on January 26, 2026.

The defamation case against Congress leaders has been filed by District Programme Manager of the National Health Mission (NHM) Vijay Pandey.

It was through calling attention motion that senior Congress MLA from Jabalpur East, Lakhan Ghanghoria had raised the issue earlier in August this year.

Ghanghoria had alleged that Vijay Pandey's higher secondary marksheet was fake and as the district programme manager (DPM) incharge, he indulged in corruption.

Congress had then raised this issue in the state Assembly also, accusing the BJP government of shielding Vijay Pandey.

After a walkout from the state Assembly, the three Congress leaders had addressed a press conference as well.

Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who also looks after the Health and Family Welfare Department of the state, had set a committee to investigate the matter.

The inquiry found that allegations made against Vijay Pandey were 'incorrect' and 'baseless'.

Subsequently, Vijay Pandey has filed a defamation case against Umang Singhar, former Leader of the Opposition Ajay Singh and Jabalpur East MLA Lakhan Ghanghoria.

The action came when the five-day Winter session of the State Assembly is underway, and the Congress legislators led by LoP Singhar is holding protests to corner the BJP-led state government.

MENAFN04122025000231011071ID1110438455