GUWAHATI: The Congress in Manipur said that the “merger” of five of the six Janata Dal (United) MLAs with the ruling BJP in the state would be challenged in a court.
The Congress claimed that the act of the MLAs was “unconstitutional” and it attracted disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law).
“Para 2 and 4, particularly para 4, of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution says there will not be disqualification in case of merger but it has to be between two original parties and with two-third majority,” Congress spokesman Ningombam Bupenda Meitei argued. “…There will be a move to High Court to disqualify them,” he had tweeted earlier.
Asked if the Congress will move the court, he said, “Not exactly but private parties (can).”
There are reports that the JD(U) will also move the high court to seek disqualification of the five MLAs. However, the same could not be confirmed. Calls made to the JD(U) Manipur leaders went unattended.
Khumukcham Joykisan Singh, Ngursangiur Sanate, Md Achab Uddin, Thangjam Arunkumar, and LM Khaute had deserted the JD(U) on Friday night. Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh accepted the “merger”.
Mohammad Abdul Nasir is the lone Manipur MLA left in the JD(U) but speculations are rife that he would follow suit.
The BJP welcomed the five into the party fold on Saturday. Chief Minister N Biren Singh released some photographs on social media where he and the party’s Manipur chief A Sharda Devi are seen along with the JD(U) deserters. All of them were purportedly in New Delhi.
“Along with State BJP President, Smt @AShardaDevi Ji, heartily welcomed the 5 JDU MLAs who got merged into BJP yesterday. This merger shows the love and trust entrusted by people in the leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji and Hon’ble BJP President Shri @JPNadda Ji,” Singh tweeted.
The JD(U) had contested 38 of the state’s 60 seats. After the results of the Assembly elections were declared earlier this year, the party submitted a declaration to the governor, pledging its support to the BJP. However, the saffron party snubbed the Nitish Kumar-led party and formed a coalition government with the regional Naga People’s Front.
Even after that, the JD(U) was extending external support to the government. But after Kumar ditched his party's alliance with BJP in Bihar last month, the Manipur unit of his party allegedly started mulling severing ties with the BJP.