Speaker of Himachal Assembly reserves decision on disqualification petition against five Congress MLA
Himachal Pradesh Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania reserved the decision in the disqualification petition moved by Congress Vidhyak Dal yesterday for defying the Congress legislator’s party whip twice during a discussion on the finance or Money bills leading to a shortage of quorum yesterday.
Speaking to us Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha secretary Yashpal Sharma said that the Speaker reserved the decision in the disqualification petition against six Congress MLAs including Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Inderdut Lakhanpal, Chetnya Sharma and Devinder Bhutto.
The CLP moved a disqualification petition against six Congress MLAs yesterday after the adjournment of the budget session due to a lack of sufficient quorum in the house stating that its members were indulged in breach of the whip issued by the Vidhyak Dal on two occasions.
Advocate Satpal Jain defended the Six MLAs before the tribunal of the speaker and the petitioner was represented by Senior advocate Arvind Kammath. The hearing was held yesterday and after 1600 hrs till 1830 hrs today. The speaker decided to reserver order in the disqualification petition after giving the patient a hearing to the argument and pleading of both the party.
The speaker speaking to us earlier said that the suspension of 15 BJP MLAs was done on the proposal submitted by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan today. BJP members found creating a ruckus and threatening the speaker in his chamber after the session yesterday.
It is worthwhile to mention that six MLAs who are facing swords of disqualification also crossed the vote in the Rajyasabha election in favor of BJP official candidate Harsh Mahajan and voted against the party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi as he lost by a draw after having a tie at 34 each.
The speaker however said that the petition was moved against six members and had nothing to do with the disqualification petition but it was about the action of members defying party whip in the budget session.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu told media persons in the Vidhan Sabha after the budget session adjourned since die passed the year 2024-25 Budget bill that his government is stable as it has sufficient numbers. He said that out of Six MLAs who ditched the party in the Rajyasabha election and went to Panchkula the convince of BJP is trying to approach him and one of the MLAs is apologetic about his action Moreover no member would defy the party discipline following the heat-based by them in the disqualification petition meanwhile 34 party MLA is strongly standing with him.
He said that the BJP made a futile attempt to destabilize his government and rumors of resignation are the brainchild of the Opposition BJP and Central Government which is tempering the democratic government in the state and the party’s high command has told him that the party’s is solidly behind him and his government sails safely for next four years.
