The issue was raised recently by the Samata Party in a letter to President K R Narayanan and Acting Governor of Bihar Justice B M Lal, who is also Chief Justice of Patna High Court.

``Since Justice Dube's wife happens to be a ruling party member and a number of cases against the Bihar Government might come up before him, there could be a clash of interest,'' the Samata Party wrote to the President. A Samata Party spokesperson told The Indian Express that the party simply wanted to inform the two Constitutional figures about the situation in Bihar. ``We did not demand anything from them,'' she said.

Saroj was initially elected to the U.P. Assembly from Allahabad on the Janata Dal ticket in 1989 and subsequently to the Lok Sabha as a JD candidate in 1991, again from Allahabad. Her husband wasthen posted in Allahabad HC, the Samata Party has pointed out.

It could be a coincidence that she shifted her loyalty to the RJD and became a RS MP from Bihar as her husband too was transferred to the Patna HC, the Samata letter says.