Governor dismisses plea to disqualify 12 MLAs
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 08 2021:
Governor La Ganesan has dismissed the petition filed by DD Thaisii to disqualify 12 MLAs for holding the posts of Parliamentary Secretaries.
The Governor heard a writ petition filed by DD Thaisii, a Congress MLA today, where he sought for disqualification of the 12 MLAs on the ground of holding posts of Parliamentary Secretaries which amount to 'offices of profit' .
As per the resolution of the Governor, the petition was dismissed as the 12 MLAs are not liable to disqualification as per a certain provision of Article 191 of the Indian Constitution.
It may be mentioned that the 12 MLAs-Leishangthem Susindro Meitei, Nahakpam Indrajit, Lourembam Rameshwor Meitei, Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Heikham Dingo Singh, Dr Sapam Ranjan Singh, Soibam Subashchandra Singh, Kongkham Robindro Singh, K Leishiyo, Kashim Vashum, Awangbow Newmai and Ashad Uddin were appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries in March 2017.Contending that the posts they held amounts to office of profit, Congress MLA DD Thaisii filed a complaint to disquality the 12 MLAs to the Supreme Court in 2018.While the Election Commission of India took more than two years and gave its opinion on the issue on January 13, 2021, the Governor didn't act on the EC recommendation for disqualification of the MLAs until today.
Interestingly, the term of the House will expire in March 2022.Mention may be made that the Congress MLA filed the writ petition before the Supreme Court, seeking direction to the Election Commission of India to give its opinion to the Governor of Manipur regarding the disqualification of the 12 MLAs.
Following this, the Election Commission of India gave its opinion in favour of the 12 MLAs on the basis of two Laws which reportedly have become defunct.