Cong petitions Speaker to disqualify defector MLAs

SHILLONG, Sep 17: Congress legislator Ronnie V Lyngdoh submitted two separate disqualification petitions to Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma against the three former party legislators who merged with the NPP.
Lyngdoh filed the first disqualification petition against Charles Marngar (Mawhati) and Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin) on September 9. He filed the second petition against Umsning MLA Celestine Lyngdoh on September 16.
Sources said the lone Congress legislator gave the Speaker 14 days to disqualify the trio.
The sources also said Congress will approach the High Court of Meghalaya to issue necessary direction if the Speaker fails to act on the two disqualification petitions.
Congress is said to have strong grounds to prove that the merger was against the rules.
It was observed that the Umsning MLA attended the meeting convened by the MPCC on August 16 when two other former Congress MLAs were suspended.
“The procedure for the merger is totally wrong since he (Celestine) in connivance with the other two MLAs acted against the principles of the Constitution of India as well as the party constitution,” a Congress insider said.
Ronnie sought the disqualification of Celestine Lyngdoh as an MLA with immediate effect on account of having triggered the defection in violation of Para 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
“Without the consent and approval of the INC, the respondent joined hands with the National People’s Party and tried to ‘merge’ the INC with the NPP,” he said in the petition.