Shimla, May 10
In a turn of events, six former Congress MLAs from Himachal Pradesh withdrew their pleas from the Supreme Court challenging their disqualification from the state assembly. The decision came following a hearing before a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta.
The matter came to light when the MLAs were disqualified by Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania for defying the party whip during the Rajya Sabha elections. These legislators, namely Rajinder Singh Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Chaitanya Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, and Davinder Bhutto, had crossed party lines to support BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan, leading to a tie in votes in the 68-member Assembly.
Their disqualification under the Tenth Schedule for cross-voting prompted them to approach the Supreme Court, challenging the Speaker’s decision. However, the court had previously declined to stay their disqualification, citing the urgency of the matter amidst ongoing political developments.
During the recent hearing, senior advocate Abhinav Mukherjee, representing the former MLAs, informed the bench of their decision to withdraw the petitions. Mukherjee indicated that the looming state elections might have influenced their choice, suggesting a strategic retreat given the political landscape.
The MLAs had raised concerns about the swift nature of their disqualification, asserting that they were not given adequate time to respond to the notice served by the Speaker. This contention added a layer of procedural complexity to their legal battle, highlighting the tension between expediency and due process in matters of political disqualification.
The Supreme Court’s decision to allow the withdrawal of the pleas marks the culmination of a protracted legal battle that began with the events surrounding the Rajya Sabha elections. The bench’s acknowledgment of the plaintiffs’ request signifies a recognition of their right to voluntarily withdraw their petitions, albeit with broader implications for the state’s political landscape.
The resolution of this legal dispute comes amidst heightened political turmoil and anticipation surrounding the upcoming state elections. With the disqualification saga now concluded, attention may shift towards the broader implications for party discipline, legislative integrity, and the electoral process in Himachal Pradesh.
It is worthwhile to mention that six disqualified MLAs have joined BJP during the pendency of this petition in the SC and now they are in fray to face bye election being held along Lok Sabha seats. The sixs MLAs were shown door by Congress legislative party immediately as they cross vote against Congress party interest leading to defeat of party RS candidates on February 27 however Congress party rid off them by showing door with in 48 hrs by charging them under defection law for abstaining during crucial financial bills. The political coups forced the grand old party to undergo poltical surgery to save the one and five months government to topple down by the defection.
This marks the logical ends of a chapter two and half months old poltical turmoil in the state poltical Pandit claims it narrow scape of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government.
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