GUWAHATI: The High Courts are virtually goading the Speakers of Nagaland and Manipur Assemblies to dispose of the disqualification petitions filed against seven MLAs each in both states.
The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court has given six-week time to Nagaland Speaker Sharingain Longkumer to conclude the proceedings of disqualification. Similarly, the Manipur High Court will on Friday hear the disqualification case for disposal. Once an order is passed, the Speaker is expected to give his judgment.
Ahead of the 2019 elections to Nagaland’s lone Lok Sabha seat, seven MLAs of Naga People’s Front (NPF) had issued a written declaration that they would back the consensus candidate of ruling People’s Democratic Alliance of which BJP is a partner.
The NPF claimed the seven MLAs had willfully given up their party membership, thereby attracting provisions under the 10th Schedule (anti-defection law) of the Constitution. These MLAs, however, said as the NPF’s decision to support the Congress candidate was “against the principle of regionalism”, they said they had backed the PDA candidate. The NPF had not contested the polls.
Vikho-o Yhoshu was the Speaker when the petition for disqualification was filed. He died in December last year. On February 7, Longkumer was elected as the new Speaker.
In Manipur, seven Congress MLAs had gone to ruling BJP over a period of time. The Manipur High Court issued an order on Wednesday for listing of the case on Friday for disposal.
“Heard Shri Kapil Sibal, learned Sr. Advocate appearing for the applicants in all the applications...This court is of the view that the applications can be listed day after tomorrow i.e., 05-06-2020 for disposal so that the counsels appearing for the respondents will have the opportunity to go through them. If the counsel appearing for the respondents wish to file an objection, it can be done so by Thursday i.e., 04-06-2020,” Justice Kh. Nobin Singh ordered.
Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei told this newspaper that the matter had reached the court as Speaker Yumnam Khemchand did not take any decision on disqualification.
On May 8, the Speaker’s tribunal had heard the case but the decision was “reserved”. Rajya Sabha elections to one seat in Manipur will be held on June 19 and the Congress is seeking a decision before that.
After hearing a similar disqualification petition in March, the Supreme Court had stripped Manipur Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar of his office and banned his entry into the Assembly. Later, the Speaker had disqualified him as a member of the Assembly.
Shyamkumar was elected in the 2017 elections on a Congress ticket. However, he switched to the BJP even before being sworn in as a Member of the Assembly. The BJP had rewarded him with a berth in the Cabinet.