CLP moves Speaker

Disqualification of 9 MLAs

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Dec 1: With only one week left for the winter session of the Assam Assembly to begin, the Congress Legislature Party, led by chief whip Nilomoni Sendeka, filed a complaint against the nine MLAs who joined the BJP without formally resigning from the Congress.

The nine MLAs include Jayantamalla Barua, Pijush Hazarika, Pallablochan Das, Bolin Chetia, Kripath Malla, Binda Saikia, Pradan Barua, Rajen Borthakur and Abu Taher Bepari.

Deka filed the complaint with Speaker Prab Kumar Gogoi.

Talking to the media soon after receiving the complaint, Speaker Prab Kumar Gogoi said, “I have received the official complaint from Congress Legislature Party. The Chief Minister too filed a complaint with me yesterday in this regard. The nine MLAs will be first served notice and as per procedure and rules, we will sit for hearing.”

Gogoi also said, “Since, they were elected from the Congress, but as now they have joined the BJP, it was their moral responsibility to resign. But they didn’t do so. Now, as the CLP has approached me, I will take action as per the procedures and rule books.”

When asked, whether the nine MLAs will be allowed to attend the Assembly session which begins on Dec 7, the speaker said, “They can attend as they are still members. The moment they are disqualified, they can’t.”

On the other hand, chief whip of the Congress Nilamani Sendeka said, “They won the elections on Congress ticket, but now they have joined the BJP. For anti-party activities, we have already suspended them from the party. Today we moved the Speaker seeking their disqualification.”