By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 18: Lone Congress MLA Ronnie V Lyngdoh, who submitted two disqualification petitions to Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma, has sought action against Celestine Lyngdoh, Charles Marngar, and Gabriel Wahlang within 14 days.
Asserting that the case against the three former Congress MLAs is strong, the party threatened to approach the High Court of Meghalaya for a directive if the Speaker fails to act on the disqualification petitions.
In his petitions, Ronnie pleaded for disqualification of the three former Congress MLAs from the Meghalaya Assembly with immediate effect for defection according to Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
“Pass any such further order or relief which the Speaker may deem fit and proper, in light of the facts and circumstances of the case, in favour of the petitioner (Ronnie Lyngdoh),” the petitions read.
The Congress MLA said he was constrained to file the disqualification petitions given the brazen, illegal, and unconstitutional acts of the respondent MLAs.
He observed that Celestine Lyngdoh, in connivance with Wahlang and Marngar, acted against the principles of the Constitution of India and the party constitution.
The petitions state that the respondents thereby committed the constitutional sin of defection.
“Without the consent and approval of the INC, the respondents have joined hands with the National People’s Party (NPP) and tried to ‘merge’ INC with the NPP. The very action of joining the NPP is an admitted fact and has been widely reported in the news media,” the Congress MLA said.
He further stated that the respondents acted contrary to the directions and undisputed position of their ‘original political party’ and voluntarily gave up membership of the INC.
According to the petitions, the MLAs are liable to face disqualification under the provisions of Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule.
“That before adverting to the facts, it is submitted that the petitioner, being a member of the current Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and holding the post of the vice-president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee possesses the locus to file the present disqualification petition against the respondent MLAs,” the petitions stated.
Moreover, the disqualification petitions stated that in August 2024, Celestine Lyngdoh by way of his conduct gave rise to serious doubts about his membership and affiliation with the INC.
It stated that to thwart the defection of INC members (if any), the MPCC on August 12 announced a meeting of the core committee to be scheduled on August 16.
“It is pertinent to note that Celestine Lyngdoh attended the said meeting and was given a chance to clarify the news of the three MLAs, namely Charles Marngar, Gabriel Wahlang and himself intending to leave the party and join the MDA 2.0 government led by the NPP,” the petitions stated.
According to the petitions, Celestine Lyngdoh clarified that he has not joined any party yet and has been given offers for development in his block/constituency by the NPP-led government for which they are trying to woo him.
It further stated that on August 19, to the utter shock and surprise of the petitioner, the office of the Assembly Speaker issued a bulletin in the public domain informing that Celestine Lyngdoh, Gabriel Wahlang and Charles Marngar addressed a communication on August 14 seeking the merger of the INC’s Meghalaya Legislature Party with the National People’s Party.
“This was followed by the Speaker’s acceptance of the said merger on August 19, consequently allotting them seats in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly along with MLAs of the National People’s Party,” the petitions stated.
Additionally, ‘Bulletin Part II’ was issued by the office of the Speaker, recognising the merger of the INC’s Meghalaya Legislature Party (Lyngdoh, Wahlang and Marngar) into the NPP, it stated.
“Without any intimation to the official leadership of the INC or the office-bearers of the MPCC, the respondent MLAs joined hands with the ruling regime, the NPP. In fact, Celestine Lyngdoh had expressly stated before the core committee meeting organised on August 16 that he did not join any political party. However, the records of the Assembly Speaker seek to suggest that the respondent deliberately misrepresented its true stand before the meeting dated August 19 (and had clandestinely sought a merger before the Assembly Speaker allegedly on August 14),” the petitions stated.
According to the petitions, the mala fide actions of Marngar and Wahlang first became evident with the various statements made by them and their failure to attend the urgent and crucial meeting scheduled by the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Core Committee on August 16.
“In view of the above, the president of the party addressed a communication on August 16 to the INC president, Mallikarjun Kharge requesting for the issuance of suspension letters/show cause notices to both Marngar and Wahlang. Subsequently, on the same day, the MPCC issued suspension letters to both of them suspending them from the INC for six years,” the petition further stated.
“Under these circumstances, it is submitted that the respondent MLAs have absolutely no defence to the brazen act of defection and therefore, ought to be immediately disqualified,” the petitions stated, adding that the petitioner is also seeking interim suspension of their membership during the pendency of these disqualification petitions.
It may be mentioned that Ronnie Lyngdoh filed the first disqualification petition against Marngar (Mawhati) and Wahlang (Nongstoin) on September 9. He filed the second petition against Celestine Lyngdoh (Umsning) on September 16.
The content of the two disqualification petitions is similar.