Mandi (Munish Sood)
The Supreme Court could not proceed with the hearing regarding the disqualification of six Congress MLAs, who were removed from their positions as Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) following an order by the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
The hearing has now been tentatively rescheduled for January 21, according to the Supreme Court’s web portal. Attorney General of Himachal Pradesh Anoop Ratan confirmed the new date and stated that the matter may be heard on the said date.
CPS Positions Lost, Legislative Membership in Jeopardy
Six Congress MLAs were appointed as CPS by the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government. They were Mohan Lal Brakta (Rohru), Sanjay Awasthy (Arki), Ram Kumar Chaudhary (Doon), Sunder Thakur (Kullu), Ashish Butail (Palampur) and Kishori Lal (Baijnath).
However, the Himachal Pradesh High Court declared the CPS appointments unconstitutional, causing significant political repercussions for the state.
Case with far-reaching political consequences
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna is set to hear arguments from both sides, including the special leave petition (SLP) filed by the state government and former CPS appointees. The bench has also decided to club this case with a similar matter already pending before the court.
The outcome of this hearing could have far-reaching political consequences. If the Supreme Court upholds the High Court’s decision and disqualifies the six MLAs, it may destabilise the majority of the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government in the state Assembly.
Additionally, this case is being closely monitored due to its potential impact on other ongoing political disputes in Himachal Pradesh, including a case involving nine BJP MLAs and Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania.
Observers are now awaiting the next hearing, as the legal and political ramifications of this case could shape the state’s political landscape.
