In a significant legal development, six rebel Congress MLAs from Himachal Pradesh have taken their disqualification to the Supreme Court, terming the Speaker’s order as “illegal and unconstitutional”. The move comes after they were disqualified by the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker for their absence during the budget session.
The rebel MLAs, comprising Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur, and Chetanya Sharma, filed their petition in the apex court on Tuesday, contesting their disqualification. They assert that the Speaker’s decision was unjust and violated constitutional principles.
Their disqualification by Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania stemmed from their actions during the Rajya Sabha elections, where they allegedly cross-voted against the party’s candidate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Additionally, they defied a party whip to vote in favor of the government on the Finance Bill, further exacerbating the rift with the ruling Congress.
Last week, the rebel MLAs had also moved the Himachal Pradesh High Court to challenge their disqualification, citing their expulsion from the state Assembly following Singhvi’s defeat in the Rajya Sabha polls.
The contentious issue revolves around the rebels’ refusal to adhere to party directives, both in the Rajya Sabha elections and during crucial budgetary voting in the assembly. Their defiance against party lines prompted the ruling Congress to seek their disqualification, a move which has now escalated into a legal battle.
