The four legislators - Sanbor Shullai (NCP), Paul Lyngdoh of Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement and two Independents - Ismail R Marak and Limison D Sangma, were disqualified on April 8 as members of the Assembly for violating the 10th schedule of the Constitution by shifting their allegiance to the Congress.
Justice Ashok Potsangbam, who heard the petition filed by the erring legislators challenging the disqualification order, deferred the hearing to May 13 in lieu of the Supreme Court hearing the ‘transfer-petition’ filed by the Speaker on May 11.
Mr Lanong had said he would stick to his decision. ‘If the cases of the four disqualified MLAs fall through, I will write to the Law ministry to do away with the 10th Schedule of the Constitution,’ the Speaker said.
The four were among the five rebel MLAs, who had deserted the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance and supported the opposition Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) ahead of the trust-vote on March 17, which the NCP-United Democratic Party-led MPA survived with the Speaker invalidating the votes of the five rebel MLAs.
Dr Adviser Pariong of the Hills State People Democratic Party, however, returned to the MPA fold and the party subsequently withdrew its compliant seeking for his disqualification.
Earlier, the Shillong Bench had stayed the interim suspension of the ‘erring’ legislators, but the apex court gave the Speaker free-hand to go ahead with the disqualification proceedings.