By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 1: The state Congress is yet to receive any fresh communication from the office of the Assembly Speaker on the disqualification petitions it filed against three of its MLAs.
Kimphang V Kharlyngdoh, chairman of Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee’s legal cell, on Friday said the party’s legal team is discussing the issue.
“We had taken a decision to file the disqualification petitions against Charles Marngar and Gabriel Wahlang on September 9, and Celestine Lyngdoh on September 15. The Speaker returned the petitions as they had some defects,” Kharlyngdoh said.
Stating that there were minor defects, such as spelling errors and typos, he said a direction was received to “cure” the defects. The petitions were sent to the Speaker again by October 18 following necessary rectifications, he added.
“Curing the defects was only for Charles and Gabriel. For Celestine, he (Speaker) had not said anything,” Kharlyngdoh said.
According to him, the Speaker was in the US when the petitions were resent. He has already returned but he has not said anything so far on whether or not the petitions are alright, Kharlyngdoh said.
“We are still waiting for a fresh official communication from the office of the Speaker. We will take legal recourse if the Speaker doesn’t do anything in the coming weeks,” Kharlyngdoh said, adding, “We will discuss the matter with our legal team from Delhi and initiate legal action.”
Earlier, the Speaker had referred the petitions against the three MLAs, who joined the National People’s Party, to the state’s Advocate General to seek his opinion.
Ronnie V Lyngdoh, the lone Congress MLA, had filed the petitions. He had demanded actions from the Speaker within 14 days.