On Madhya Pradesh MLAs' Disqualification, Top Court Deadline To Speaker

A date has to be announced by next week regarding the decision on the disqualification of 22 defectors in the Madhya Pradesh assembly, the Supreme Court said today. A decision on the matter has been pending since March, when the MLAs changed camp from the Congress to the BJP, leading to the collapse of the Kamal Nath government. Many of the defectors have become ministers in Chief Minster Shivraj Singh's government, a petition has pointed out.

"Tell us next week by when you will decide on disqualification plea against the Congress MLAs who joined the BJP and became ministers," a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court told Madhya Pradesh Speaker today.

The petition by Congress MLA Vinay Saxena had argued that without a decision on the disqualification plea, some of the MLAs have become ministers. The petition had also accused the assembly speaker of facilitating the MLAs' continuation as ministers by delaying a decision on the disqualification petitions.

The court had earlier issued notices to the assembly secretary and the Speaker, in response to which, the assembly secretary today asked for three weeks' time.  

"Why three weeks? The Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker agreed that he would pass an order on pending disqualification. What is your problem?" Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said.

When the advocate said he was representing the assembly and not the Speaker, Chief Justice Bobde questioned what was the difference between the two.  

"We will keep it for next week for the Speaker to make a statement," the Chief Justice added.  

Most of the 22 MLAs had changed camp along with Jyotiraditya Scindia in March, bringing down the Congress government in the state. The petition for their disqualification has been pending since March 12.

Mr Scindia -- a leader with a mass following in Madhya Pradesh -- had to settle for less than what he expected after Congress won the assembly election in 2018. During the Lok Sabha election next year, as the Congress suffered a crushing defeat, Mr Scindia had lost the family bastion Guna. Currently he is a BJP Rajya Sabha member from the state.