Imphal, Feb 06, 2025, IANS

Imphal, Feb 6 (IANS) The Manipur Assembly Speaker's tribunal issued separate notices to four National People’s Party (NPP) MLAs in the anti-defection case, asking them to furnish written comments by February 11 and attend the hearing on February 12, officials said on Thursday. An Assembly official said that the notice was issued to the four NPP legislators following Manipur state Congress Vice-President Hareshwar Goswami’s petition before the tribunal seeking disqualification of the four NPP legislators from the Assembly. Congress leader Goswami, a retired bureaucrat, last month filed disqualification petitions before the Speaker’s tribunal against the four NPP MLAs for extending support to the BJP-led government, even as the party officially snapped ties with the government in November last year. Goswami's lead counsel, N. Bupenda Meitei said that his client (the petitioner), had filed disqualification petitions against four NPP MLAs for extending support to the BJP-led government in the state. "The four MLAs attended a meeting of the ruling BJP legislators in November last year. The meeting was convened by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, despite NPP National President (Conrad K. Sangma) and his party (NPP), having withdrawn support to the BJP government in Manipur," Meitei had said. The 4 NPP MLAs are Mayanglambam Rameshwar Singh, Thongam Shanti Singh, Irengbam Nalini Devi, and Janghemlung Panmei. The NPP, led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Sangma, had on November 17 last year withdrawn support to the BJP-led government in Manipur, claiming that CM Biren Singh-led Manipur government "completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy" in the violence-ravaged state. The NPP had seven MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. The withdrawal by the NPP, however, did not have any impact on Chief Minister Biren Singh-led Manipur government as the BJP has 37 MLAs' support in the 60-member Assembly and is also supported by five MLAs of the Naga People's Front (NPF) and three Independents. NPP MLA N. Kayisii, also the party's Manipur unit President, died on January 18 after a prolonged illness, leaving six party legislators in the House at present. Meanwhile, the Manipur Speaker's tribunal will hear on February 7 the anti-defection case of five Janata Dal-United (JD-U) MLAs who had joined the ruling BJP weeks after winning the Assembly elections in 2022. Goswami had also filed a petition seeking the disqualification of the five JD-U legislators from the Assembly. Goswami's counsel Meitei said that Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh heard the matter on Tuesday and announced that it would be heard again on February 7 (Friday). In the 2022 February-March Assembly polls, the JD-U had fielded candidates in 38 constituencies and won six seats. However, five of the MLAs later joined the BJP. The JD-U MLAs who joined the BJP are Kh Joykishan, N. Sanate, Md Achab Uddin, L.M. Khaute, and Thangjam Arunkumar. Only Kh Joykishan has filed a counter affidavit while others have not done it. The crucial Manipur Assembly session is scheduled to start on February 10.