Shillong: The United Democratic Party moved to disqualify eight of its MLAs who recently defected to the BJP. The legislators have yet to inform Speaker Thomas A. Sangma of their move. They have also failed to notify the UDP leadership of the switch.
The Assembly Secretariat confirmed Thursday that no communication arrived from the eight lawmakers. Meanwhile, the BJP has not informed the Speaker that its strength increased from two to 10 seats. These omissions create a massive political vacuum inside the House.
UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh filed the petition under the Tenth Schedule. State Parliamentary Board secretary Allantry Dkhar delivered the papers on Wednesday. The party recently suspended Kyrmen Shylla, Mathew Beyondstar Kurbah, and Ollan Singh Suin. The party claims these suspensions prevent the group from hitting the two-thirds threshold required for a legal merger.
Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule requires two-thirds of a legislative party to agree to a merger to avoid disqualification. The UDP argues these suspensions invalidate the breakaway math. The Speaker must determine if internal disciplinary actions alter these numbers.
History complicates the situation. The Assembly recently witnessed a similar fight involving Congress MLAs joining the NPP. In that case, the Speaker recognized the move as a merger. The Congress challenged the decision in court. Officials note the current case presents different facts. The Speaker remains in South Africa for the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and returns October 2. He holds the final say.
The outcome hangs on the sequence of events. "The Speaker's decision will decide whether the eight keep their seats or the UDP succeeds." The battle could head to court if either side rejects the final ruling.
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