After disposing off the disqualification case against Congress MLA Paonam Brojen, Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly, Y Khemchand on Friday accepted his resignation as a member of the state Assembly.
Brojen was among the six Congress MLAs who submitted their resignation papers as members of the state Assembly on August 10 during the stormy one-day monsoon session of the state Assembly that passed a confidence motion to government by voice vote.
The Speaker, on the next day, had accepted the resignation of five MLAs – Okram Henry Singh, Oinam Lukhoi Singh, Md Abdul Nasir, Ngamthang Haokip and Ginsuanhau. However, the resignation of Brojen was kept on hold as a disqualification case against him filed by Congress was pending for disposal then. As such the Speaker took up the case on Friday and dismissed the disqualification petition as there was no evidence that Brojen had joined the BJP which was alleged by the petitioners (Congress MLAs), the Speaker, who talked to the media after today’s tribunal proceeding, said.
The tribunal of the Speaker dismissed the disqualification petition as there was “no evidence” to prove the allegations levelled against him (Brojen) of joining the BJP, he said.
He (Brojen) was not disqualified from being a member of the state Assembly but accepted his resignation as a member of the state Assembly, the Speaker added.
His resignation was accepted after he was summoned and recorded his personal statement on Friday, the Speaker added.
Including Brojen, nine MLAs –three from BJP and six from Congress- have resigned as members of the state Assembly while four MLAs of Congress were disqualified on the charge of defection.
Now, the effective strength of the 60-member state Assembly has been reduced to 47 as13 seats are now lying vacant.
NNN