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Manipur Speaker’s tribunal reserves judgment on MLA’s disqualification
Last month, the Supreme Court directed the Speaker’s tribunal to decide the disqualification petition within four weeks.
The Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker’s tribunal on Tuesday reserved judgment on the disqualification petitions filed against Manipur Minister Th Shyamkumar Singh.
Sources said the day’s hearing at the tribunal of Speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh began around 11 am and lasted about an hour in the presence of counsels of the petitioners and respondents.
During the hearing, the adjournment application filed by respondent’s counsel for taking up the matters only after February 11 was rejected in view of the budget session to be commenced from February 14, sources said.
Later the tribunal directed both the petitioner and respondent to submit their arguments in writing on or before February 12.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, senior counsel SG Hasnain of the petitioner said the tribunal has reserved the judgment and fixed February 12 for filing any additional documents or written submission.
Petitions filed by the Congress MLAs in 2018 sought disqualification of Th Shyamkumar under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution which is also known as the Anti-Defection Law.
The petitioners had approached the Supreme Court after the case was pending at the speaker’s tribunal. Last month, the apex court directed the Speaker’s tribunal to decide the disqualification petition within four weeks.
In the 2017 Manipur assembly election, Shyamkumar was elected on a Congress ticket from the Andro assembly constituency in Imphal East district. But he switched allegiance to the BJP which went on to form a coalition government.
Shyamkumar is a currently a cabinet minister in the BJP-led coalition government and is in charge of Forest and Environment departments and Municipal Housing and Urban Development.
Though the BJP became the second largest party in 2017 assembly elections with 21 MLAs behind the Congress with 28 MLA, the saffron party formed the government with the support of NPF, NPP, LJP and independent lawmakers.
