A single Bench of the Manipur High Court of Justice Kh. Nobin, which on Thursday heard seven petitions seeking the disqualification of seven MLAs, asked the legislators to submit relevant documents on May 28.
The petitioners said all the seven were elected on Congress ticket in March 2017. Later they joined the ruling BJP. So the petitioners demanded their disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
It may be recalled that the Speaker’s tribunal had heard similar petitions against the then Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar. Speaker Y. Khemchand had said he examined all documents, including the petitions by the seven MLAs, who claimed that they never joined the BJP.
The Speaker did not recognise the seven MLAs as members of the BJP and that they were sitting in the Opposition benches in the House. Mr. Khemchand said he was reserving the judgement. Resenting the decision, the petitioners have moved the court.
The Speaker had earlier disqualified Mr. Shyamkumar, Minister of Forests and Environment. The Congress had charged that though elected on its ticket, he joined the BJP only to become a Minister.
