Imphal: Upping its ante against the N Biren Singh-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Manipur, Hareshwar Goshwami, Vice President of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee Monday filed disqualification petitions against the five Janata Dal (United) MLAs who recently joined the ruling party in the Speaker’s Tribunal.
In early September this year, five of the JD (U)’s six MLAs joined the BJP, weeks after the Nitish Kumar-led party parted ways with the saffron party in Bihar.
The Assembly issued an office memorandum on behalf of Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh giving the go-ahead for Khumukcham Joykishan Singh, Ngursanglur Sanate, Md Asab Uddin, Thangjam Arunkumar and LM Khoute to join the BJP.
The five JD(U) MLAs formally joined the BJP on 5 September in the presence of JP Nadda, national BJP president and chief minister N Biren Singh in New Delhi.
The counsel for the petitioner, Advocate Ningombam Bupenda Meitei, in all the five disqualification petitions against the five MLAs, was present during the filing of the disqualification petitions at Manipur Assembly.
In the last Assembly polls JD(U) had fielded 38 candidates but won six seats. The BJP had won 32 seats in the 60-member house. The decimated oppositition Congress bagged just five seats.
