Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker disqualifies 6 Congress MLAs
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Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Thursday disqualified six Congress MLAs for defying the party whip.
Lawmakers including Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur and Chetanya Sharma faced the axe after they abstained from voting in favour of the government on the budget in the assembly, according to The Siasat Daily.
‘These six MLAs are disqualified and cease to be members of Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly with immediate effect,’ the Speaker reportedly said.
The verdict on the disqualification of the lawmakers was to have been taken on Wednesday, but Pathania reserved it.
Pathania told media that defying the Congress whip the legislators attracted the anti-defection law as they were elected on the party’s tickets.
On Tuesday, they voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections.
After Pathania suspended 15 BJP MLAs, the House passed the Finance Bill by voice vote. The Speaker adjourned the session sine die.
