Supreme Court reschedules hearing on CPS case to Jan 21 tentatively

Shimla, Jan 20, Updated at 1550 hours

The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear a crucial case today, January 20, concerning the membership of six Congress MLAs from Himachal Pradesh who were appointed as Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) by the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu-led government. However, the matter could not be heard and has now been tentatively/likely rescheduled for January 21, as per the Supreme Court’s web portal.

Advocate General of Himachal Pradesh, Anoop Rattan, confirmed the new date and added that the matter might also be heard on Wednesday or Thursday thereafter.

The appointments of six MLAs—Mohan Lal Brakta (Rohru), Sanjay Awasthi (Arki), Ram Kumar Chaudhary (Doon), Sunder Thakur (Kullu), Ashish Butel (Palampur), and Kishori Lal (Baijnath)—as CPS had been declared unconstitutional by the Himachal Pradesh High Court. This ruling has triggered significant political implications for the state.

The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna, will hear arguments from both sides, including a special leave petition filed by the state government and the former CPS appointees. The bench has also decided to combine this case with a similar matter already pending before the court.

The outcome of the hearing holds major political ramifications. Should the court uphold the High Court’s decision and disqualify the six MLAs, it could destabilize the Sukhu government’s majority in the state assembly. The case is also being closely watched for its potential to influence other pending political disputes in the state, including a case involving nine BJP MLAs with the Assembly Speaker, Kuldeep Singh Pathania.

The next hearing is now awaited, as legal and political observers anticipate further developments in this high-stakes matter.

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The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.

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Himachalscape bureau

The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.