Congress seeks disqualification of three Independent MLAs under anti-defection law

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 25

The Congress has filed a petition with the Speaker seeking disqualification of three Independent MLAs, who resigned on March 22 as member of the Assembly and subsequently joined the BJP from Vidhan Sabha.

The three MLAs have been insisting on quick acceptance of their resignations

“We have filed a petition seeking their disqualification from the Assembly as they have joined the BJP before their resignation was accepted. By doing so, they have violated the anti-defection law,” said Revenue Minister Jagat Singh here today.

The three Independent MLAs — Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur, KL Thakur from Nalagarh and Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra — resigned as MLAs on March 22, and joined the BJP next day. Ever since, they have been demanding that their resignations be accepted immediately, but the Speaker is investigating whether they resigned voluntarily or under some pressure as was alleged by the Congress legislators in their petition to the Speaker.

Alleging that the Speaker was not accepting their resignation, the MLAs went to the court seeking directions to the Speaker to accept the resignation. The three MLAs have been insisting on early acceptance of their resignations so that the byelections in their constituencies could also be held along with the four Lok Sabha seats and six Assembly bypolls on June 1.

Besides, Shimla (Urban) MLA Harish Janartha said that he had filed a petition in the High Court, in which he has requested the court that he be heard before any decision is pronounced on the petition of the MLAs. “I want to place all information regarding their resignation and the pressure they were under before the court,” said Janartha.

Meanwhile, Negi also countered the BJP’s attack on the Congress manifesto. “The BJP has been discouraged by the Congress manifesto. The BJP is misleading people by saying that Congress will take over the land and gold of people. The Congress promises to give land to the landless from the government land,” he said.

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