Himachal: Independent MLAs move HC over 'delay' in acceptance of their resignation by Speaker
MLAs in Himachal Pradesh, who had voted for the BJP candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha election, on Wednesday moved the High Court seeking acceptance of their resignations from the Assembly. The three Independent MLAs — Hoshiyar Singh, Ashish Sharma and K LThakur — had voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27 and resigned from the Assembly on March 22.
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania had issued a show cause notice to these legislators seeking an explanation from them till April 10 following a representation from the Congress legislative party claiming that these MLAs resigned under duress and not voluntarily.
A decision on the resignation of three Independent MLAs cannot be taken till the case is adjudicated by the court, the Speaker said on Wednesday.
A division bench consisting of Chief Justice M S Ramachandra Rao and Justice Anand Mohan Goel heard the MLAs' petition and asked the Speaker to file his response. It fixed the next hearing on April 24.
One of the petitioners Hoshiyar Singh said that they pleaded in their petition that they had resigned voluntarily without any pressure and that the resignation should have been accepted immediately.
«We appeared before the Speaker and reiterated our stand that we have resigned voluntarily without any pressure or allurement,» he told reporters.
Singh said that the resignations should have been accepted immediately as they had put in their papers in person and the show cause notice to appear on
