Manipur speaker reserves decision on disqualification of 7 MLAs

Manipur Assembly Speaker Y Khemchand on Friday reserved his decision on the disqualification petition of seven Congress MLAs who have been supporting the BJP-led coalition government in the state. After the hearing was held on the premises of the Assembly as per schedule, the Speaker's Tribunal formed under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution reserved its order.

These seven MLAs had helped formation of the BJP-led government in the state after the Assembly election in 2017, in which the Congress emerged as the single largest party. Earlier in March, the Supreme Court, in a rare move, invoked its plenary powers and ordered forthwith removal of Th Shyamkumar who was the state's forest minister.

Shyamkumar had also won the election on Congress ticket but became a minister in the BJP-led government. The plea of his disqualification was also pending with the Speaker since 2017. Khemchand later disqualified him from the Assembly.