IMPHAL, Oct 25: The Speaker’s Tribunal of the Manipur Legislative Assembly has resumed hearings on the disqualification cases of five JD(U) MLAs who defected to the BJP. The MLAs in question are Khumukcham Joykisan Singh, Ngursanglur Sanate, Md Achab Uddin, Thangjam Arunkumar, and L.M. Khaute.
During the session, Counsel N. Bupenda Meitei, representing petitioner Hareshwar Goshwami, requested an expedited hearing and resolution, citing a Supreme Court ruling that mandates resolving pending disqualification petitions within three months of filing. Meitei also asked for access to copies of the tribunal’s daily proceedings and argued for the correction of the filing date from 2024 to 2022, stating that the petitions were actually submitted two years prior.
Advocate Ajoy Pebam represented petitioners in Disqualification Cases No. 6 and 7, concerning MLAs M. Dorendro Singh and M. Surjit Singh. Senior Advocate L. Anand Singh and junior associates from Senior Advocate R.S. Reisang’s team represented the respondents.
The respondents’ counsel sought an extension of three to four weeks for preparing their responses, while the petitioners’ counsel urged for a swift resolution. After hearing both arguments, the Speaker’s Tribunal granted the respondents three weeks to reply, scheduling the next hearing for three weeks later.
