SC declines stay on Himachal rebel MLAs disqualification

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday, declined to halt the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker’s order disqualifying six Congress rebels for cross-voting in the state’s recent Rajya Sabha polls. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta issued notice to Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, granting four weeks to respond.

Pending adjudication, the rebel MLAs are barred from voting or participating in Assembly proceedings.

“On the question of by-election on six vacant seats, we will have to examine whether the elections which have been notified by the ECI are to be stayed during the pendency of plea,” the bench said.

It posted the matter for listing on May 6 and gave the rebel MLAs a week to file their rejoinder.

The filing of nominations for six vacant assembly seats starts on May 7.

On February 29, six rebel Congress legislators, including Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma, and Devinder Kumar Bhutto, were disqualified for flouting a party directive.

They defied a Congress whip to support the Himachal Pradesh government during a crucial vote on the cut motion and budget.

Following the disqualification of the rebels, the House’s effective strength has gone down to 62 from 68, while the number of Congress MLAs has shrunk to 34 from 40.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said that rebel Congress leaders who voted against the party in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls in the state insulted “public vote and public faith”.

Addressing a public meeting, Sukhu said that the people will not “spare the rebel MLAs”. “A person who sells his honour and betrays their families has to run into hiding out of fear,” he said. They have insulted the public vote and the public will make them realise the power of their vote, Sukhu added.