Imphal, Feb 8 The Tribunal headed by Manipur Assembly Speaker on Friday reserved its judgment on the plea of the Congress seeking disqualification of 5 Janata Dal-United (JD-U) MLAs who joined BJP days after winning the 2022 Manipur Assembly elections.
The disqualification petition was filed before the Speaker's Tribunal by Manipur Congress Vice-President Hareshwar Goswami against JD-U MLAs Kh Joykishan, N Sanate, Thangjam Arunkumar, Md Achab Uddin and L.M. Khaute.
Lead counsel N. Bupenda Meitei of the petitioner said that the final hearing in the tribunal concluded on Friday.
Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh after listening to both sides informed that the judgement is kept reserved.
"The tribunal's verdict is keenly awaited. The outcome of the case remained uncertain and only the final judgment would decide the fate of the five MLAs,” a Congress MLA said.
In the 2022 February-March Assembly polls, the JD-U had fielded candidates in 38 constituencies and won six seats.
Meanwhile, Manipur Speaker's tribunal also served separate notices to four National People’s Party (NPP) MLAs in the different anti-defection cases.
The hearing of the NPP MLA case would be held on Saturday.
An Assembly official said that the notices were issued to the four NPP legislators following Manipur state Congress Vice-President’s petition before the tribunal seeking disqualification of the four NPP legislators from the Assembly.
Congress leader Goswami, a retired bureaucrat, filed disqualification petitions before the Speaker’s tribunal against the four NPP MLAs for extending support to the BJP-led government, even as the party officially snapped ties with the government in November last year.
Goswami's lead counsel, Bupenda Meitei said that his client (the petitioner), had filed disqualification petitions against four NPP MLAs for extending support to the BJP-led government in the state.
"The four MLAs attended a meeting of the ruling BJP legislators in November last year. The meeting was convened by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, despite NPP National President (Conrad K. Sangma) and his party (NPP), having withdrawn support to the BJP government in Manipur," Meitei had said.
The 4 NPP MLAs are Mayanglambam Rameshwar Singh, Thongam Shanti Singh, Irengbam Nalini Devi, and Janghemlung Panmei.
The NPP, led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Sangma, had on November 17 last year withdrawn support to the BJP-led government in Manipur, claiming that CM Biren Singh-led Manipur government "completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy" in the violence-ravaged state.
The NPP had seven MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly.
The withdrawal by the NPP, however, did not have any impact on Chief Minister Biren Singh-led Manipur government as the BJP has 37 MLAs' support in the 60-member Assembly and is also supported by five MLAs of the Naga People's Front (NPF) and three Independents. NPP MLA N. Kayisii, also the party's Manipur unit President, died on January 18 after a prolonged illness, leaving six party legislators in the House at present.
The crucial budget session of the Manipur Assembly session is scheduled to start on February 10.
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